The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange County, California yesterday formally approved a record settlement of $100 million to 90 victims of sexual abuse by priests. In addition to an average payment of $1.1 million per victim, the diocese has agreed to make public confidential personnel files, and Orange County Bishop Tod D. Brown has agreed […]
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle on Friday settled for $1.8 million a lawsuit brought by 12 people who alleged they were sexually abused by priests. Three other people claiming they were sexually abused are still in negotiations with the Archdiocese, according to the Associated Press. Though most of the claims were brought against a […]
Two major victim advocacy groups are urging US bishops to reinstate full independent audits of Catholic dioceses across the country to ensure that the Church is fully addressing the priest sex abuse scandal. In November, the bishops voted to cut back the number of dioceses that would have on-site visits by retired FBI agents. Dioceses […]
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange County, California, settled for a record $100 million a lawsuit brought by 87 people who alleged they were sexually abused by priests and lay employees. “I believe that the victims will be fairly compensated, and, at the same time, that our diocese will be able to continue its service,” […]
Despite opposition from the Catholic Church and conservative groups, Chilean President Ricardo Lagos signed the “Chilean Marriage Law” granting Chileans the legal right to divorce. Chile was the last country in South America where divorce was still illegal. According to the Santiago Times, under the new law, couples can divorce after being separated for one […]
The United Nations Human Rights Committee recently criticized Poland’s strict abortion laws. According to Kaisernetwork, Poland’s laws “puts women’s lives at risk by encouraging them to seek illegal abortions, sometimes from untrained practitioners.” Women on Waves, the Dutch organization that traveled to Portugal last year to bring attention to the nation’s punitive abortion policies, estimates […]
The Catholic diocese in Spokane, Washington will become the third in the nation to file for bankruptcy in the face of lawsuits brought by people who were sexually abused by priests. Spokane Bishop William Skylstad plans to file for bankruptcy protection by November 29, which will stall 19 lawsuits brought by 58 plaintiffs, according to […]
European Parliament members refused to approve Rocco Buttiglione’s candidacy for the European Union as Commissioner for Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs because of his statements against homosexuals and single mothers, according to the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute. His testimony during European Parliament assessment hearings included reference to homosexual activity as a “sin” […]
The Vatican recently released a handbook on the teachings of the Catholic Church that denounces abortion and same-sex marriage. According to the Washington Post, the 525-page book, entitled “Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church,” took six years to complete and draws from Pope John Paul II’s and earlier pontiffs’ teachings. The book calls […]
In the past week, both presidential candidates spoke to voters in battleground states on topics they believe hold particular importance to women voters. With the presidential election just a week away, and polls showing a dead heat between the two candidates, both Kerry and Bush are courting the women’s vote, as women are expected to […]
On November 2, California will vote on Proposition 71, a ballot initiative that, if passed, would provide $3 billion over the next decade to fund embryonic stem cell research. The initiative could make California a world leader in the field, especially in light of President Bush’s decision in 2001 to limit federal funding of stem […]
The United States’ Permanent Mission to the United Nations stacked a panel discussion on strategies to combat maternal mortality with anti-women’s rights and anti-family planning advocates. According to Catholics for A Free Choice, the event held yesterday at UN headquarters included several panelists with a history of opposing women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health […]
Neil Noesen, a pharmacist in Wisconsin, faced a disciplinary hearing earlier this week for refusing to fill or transfer Amanda Phiede’s prescription for birth control pills in July, 2002. Noesen is accused of unprofessional conduct by the state’s Department of Regulation and Licensing. Noesen was filling in at a Kmart pharmacy when Phiede attempted to […]
In an unusual statement from a high Church official, Philippine Archbishop Guadencio Rosales acknowledged that the Catholic Church must share the blame for the rapid increase in population growth in the midst of widespread poverty in the country. Twenty-seven million people in the Philippines (more than a third of the population) live on a dollar […]
Earlier this month, the US House of Representatives voted to approve the Federal Refusal Clause, which will allow any doctor, hospital, or health care provider to refuse to perform an abortion, and refuse to refer a patient seeking an abortion to another doctor, even in the case of rape or medical emergency. The clause was […]
The Women on Waves ship, traveling to Portugal to bring attention to the nation’s punitive abortion policies, has been blocked from entering Portuguese waters. The Portuguese Defense Minister has called the small commercial vessel rented by Women on Waves a “threat to national security.” Portugal’s Defense Ministry has announced that it will use force if […]
The Philippines Department of Health launched a telephone hotline last Friday to respond to questions about family planning, sexual health and relationship issues. The “FamPlan Hotline” will be staffed by two psychologists and two midwives ready to answer questions on a variety of health issues, according to DeepikaGlobal.com, including topics considered taboo in the predominantly […]
In a speech to the conservative Knights of Columbus in Dallas yesterday, President Bush emphasized his opposition to issues such as abortion rights and same-sex marriage. Telling the Knights of Columbus, a 1.7-million-member Catholic men’s organization, that “you have a friend in this administration,” Bush pledged to work with the Knights to “defend the sacred […]
The Vatican issued a disturbing letter this past Saturday assaulting the feminist movement. The letter attacks the “lethal effects” of feminism, which the Vatican sees as motivated by a desire to “obscure” the “natural” differences between men and women, and thus creating what they see as the most ruinous result, helping to create a movement […]
The new Prime Minister of Spain, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, is making protection against domestic violence a top priority in his government. Zapatero called violence against women his country’s “worst shame” according to the New York Times. Following through on his campaign platform to fight violence against women, his first bill introduced to Parliament since […]
