April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. The responsibility of protecting children belongs to everyone as a matter of charity and justice. Child Abuse Prevention Month should lead to heightened awareness of the need to be vigilant about providing a safe environment for all within the Ch
“I am deeply sorry. God weeps,” said Pope Francis last September after meeting with several sexual abuse survivors during his visit to Philadelphia. All of us in the Catholic community must do what we can to understand the pain, anger, and isolation experienced by a surviv
UPDATE: On Tuesday, April 12, 2016, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed House Bill 1947, a proposal to remove the criminal statute of limitations (SoL) for childhood sexual abuse and raise the civil SoL from age 30 to 50 moving forward. It also retroactively extends the
The Catholic community received the grand jury report about past sexual abuse in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown with shock and anger. We pray that the Catholic Church’s painful past will contribute to a better understanding of sexual abuse in all sectors of society. We must always e
More Pennsylvania adults will be accountable for stopping and preventing child abuse with the recent passage of legislation that broadens the definition of who is a mandated reporter. State Sen. Kim Ward of Westmoreland County sponsored Senate Bill 21, which broadens the definition of
Every effort must be made to protect children Broad-based approach to problem is welcome U.S. bishops have made great strides but still more to be done December 5, 2013 WASHINGTON—Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, welcomed the decision o
The Task Force on Child Protection, which was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly and Governor Tom Corbett, has issued a report recommending several changes to the existing laws governing child abuse.
As schools launch a new academic year, millions of children also are set to learn the ABC’s of child protection. In Catholic schools and parishes nationwide,safe environment training gives children the skills necessary to protect themselves from would be-offenders. Mary Jane Doerr, as
Pope Benedict XVI said the Year for Priests might have been ruined by the clerical sex abuse scandal, but instead became a “summons to purification” in the church. Concelebrating Mass June 11 with some 15,000 priests, the pope said that “the enemy,” Satan, want
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