In Spirit and Truth Reading Roundup: October 2023 Edition

Welcome to your monthly collection of news and commentary about the twin crises of abuse and institutional betrayal in the Catholic Church.

The biggest news from this month is the continued saga of Marko Rupnik, and all the ways this situation has been mishandled by so many in authority. It’s still a mess, but I’m grateful for a few positive developments in the last few days. Little glimmers of hope are helpful in the midst of the all the negative news I have to share here - including the story from Nevada that hit me really hard this month.

As always, if you only have time to read a few pieces this month, I recommend you start with those in bold below. (Just a reminder: 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.)

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On Rupnik - Again

• First, the news: Fr Marko Rupnik incardinated in Slovenian diocese

• Then, the reaction: The Rupnik affair goes from scandalous to contemptible

• Finally, an about-face: Pope Francis waives statute of limitations in Rupnik case

• And another action: Papal commission reaches out to Fr. Rupnik's known victims

• Analysis: Fallout from the Pope’s ‘October Surprise’ on the Rupnik case

• More analysis: Survivors, advocates voice skepticism over Pope’s about-face

U.S. News

• Alabama: Number of priests left off Archdiocese’s public abuser list in 2018

• California: San Francisco Archbishop Accused of ‘Breathtaking Lack of Empathy’ in Bankruptcy Filing

• Louisiana: Why did church take so long to admit New Orleans deacon was a child abuser?

• Maryland: Baltimore priest removed from ministry after settlement over claims of sexual misconduct surfaces

• Maryland: Archdiocese of Baltimore Files for Bankruptcy Amid Clergy Sex-Abuse Claims + Sexual abuse survivors and advocates: Here’s what we want to say to Maryland’s Catholic parishioners

• Massachusetts: Boston Archdiocese opposes bill eliminating time limits for child sex abuse claims

• Nevada: Adult abuse allegations in the Diocese of Reno - “We aren’t doing anything wrong. I like hanging out with you.”

• Pennsylvania: Priest arrested on child pornography charges

• Pennsylvania: Church abuse victim silenced by legal tactics watches it happen again

• Pennsylvania: Philadelphia former priest pleads guilty to sexually abusing a 16-year-old altar server in 2014

• Tennessee: A Tennessee man was abused as a boy. The priest who did it was never named — until now

International News

• Bolivia: Twenty victims of pedophilia denounce the Society of Jesus of Bolivia for covering up rapes

• France: DDF ruling permits Cardinal Ricard, who sexually abused minor, to vote in conclave, minister in diocese of residence

• Poland: With a sex scandal in his diocese under police investigation, a Polish bishop resigns

• Spain: Investigation estimates that there are more than 440,000 living victims of sexual abuse that took place within the Spanish Catholic Church

• Spain: Church failed to act on priest who ‘drugged and raped’ women, victim claims

• Switzerland: Victims of sexual abuse demand action from UN and Vatican

• United Kingdom: Pope Francis backs Carlisle mum as her anti-abuse campaign goes global

• Vatican: Cardinal Tucho’s transparency test

• Vatican: Survivors - Abuse should be addressed by the synod

From Awake

• As Synod Begins in Rome, Awake Asks Delegates to Remember Victim-Survivors

• What Does Grooming Look Like in the Sexual Abuse of Adults?

• Survivor Story: John Heffernan

• Meet Awake’s New Patron Saints

Going Deeper

• Recognizing and Preventing Spiritual Abuse in the Catholic Church

• “Bad” Bishops Are Rarely Punished. Often, They Aren’t Even Allowed to Resign

• Opinion: Religious abuses - Why they happen and what needs to be done

• Celibacy is not a direct cause of sexual abuse, expert says

• Proposal from Ending Clergy Abuse for Zero Tolerance and Revisions to Canon Law

• Work still needed to bring justice to sexual abuse survivors, say advocates (I offered a workshop at this conference, on accompanying survivors.)

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If you find these monthly reading roundups helpful, please consider forwarding this post to someone else who might be interested! I know it can be hard to read, but I think it’s also important to stay informed.

I will be back with a post from our Survivors’ Voices panel soon. Thank you for listening.

~ Sara