These Are The Same Dogs That Oppose The Child Victims Act In New York Along With The Agudath Israel of America

Sex abuse allegations go to the top of the Vatican

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Cardinal George Pell, one of the highest-ranking officials in the Vatican, has been charged with sexual abuse by Australian police. He is the highest-profile member of the clergy to be charged. [NYT / Jacqueline Williams] Pell is head of finance for the Catholic Church — a very powerful position in the Vatican — and is also the highest-ranking member of the clergy from Australia. Police said the incidents of sexual abuse involving him took place years ago, beginning when he was starting as a priest in the 1960s and continuing as his rank climbed in the church. [NYT / Jacqueline Williams] So far, Pell has vigorously denied the news and called the charges character assassination. Shortly after the news broke, he announced he would take a leave of absence to return to Australia and fight the charges. He’s scheduled to appear in court there next month. [Radio Vatican] Though it's the first time he’s been formally charged, rumors and accusations have swirled around Pell for years. [Associated Press] The new scandal is especially bad for the Vatican under the reform-minded leadership of Pope Francis, who pledged two years ago that the church would hold responsible priests who had committed sexual assault. [United States Conference of Catholic Bishops] However, some victims said they believe the pope has been slow and reluctant to address the church’s longstanding problem with abuse. [NYT / Laurie Goodstein] For instance, last year the pope nixed a tribunal meant to prosecute bishops who helped priests cover up sexual assault cases, after outcry from bishops and sexual assault victims alike (the latter saw the tribunal as a purely symbolic move). [Associated Press / Nicole Winfield] Sexual assault of young parishioners by older male priests was a major scandal first brought to light by the Boston Globe investigation in the early 2000s. The paper’s series revealed that the church knew about hundreds of priests sexually abusing minors and covered it up for decades. [The Boston Globe / Michael Rezendes] Pell openly admitted that the church did not take abuse allegations seriously in past decades, saying he accepted priests' denials at face value to protect the institution. He said he regretted doing so. [Washington Post / Julie Zauzmer]