Global Church Crime News 06/23/2023

(June 23) Vatican Sends Priest’s Diary To Bolivia Amid Sex Abuse Scandal | BOLIVIA

A sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church has gripped Bolivia, prompting the Vatican to send a key piece of evidence back to the South American country.

On Thursday, the Society of Jesus of Bolivia acknowledged that it had received a copy of the diary belonging to the late Alfonso Pedrajas, a Jesuit priest accused of abusing dozens of minors. The diary was then turned over to prosecutors in the city of Cochabamba.

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(June 22) Former Australian Priest Convicted Of Child Sex Abuse Pleads Guilty To 72nd Victim | AUSTRALIA

An Australian ex-priest convicted of child sex abuse pleaded guilty Thursday to sexually abusing a 72nd victim.

Gerald Ridsdale, 89, has been in prison since 1994. He is serving a 39-year sentence for a series of convictions for abusing children between 1961 and 1988 while he worked as a Roman Catholic priest in churches and schools across his home state of Victoria.

Bedridden, he pleaded guilty in the Ballarat Magistrates' Court by video link from a prison hospital to a new charge of indecently assaulting a 13-year-old boy in 1987 while Ridsdale worked as an assistant priest at a school in Horsham, a town about 200 miles northwest of Melbourne.

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(June 21) Hundreds Of Christians Killed In Nigeria, Churches Destroyed, Thousands Flee | NIGERIA

At least 450 Christians have died in a series of attacks on Christian villages in three northcentral Nigerian states since May, according to reports from governmental and nongovernmental religious freedom advocates.

Christian death tolls include at least 300 in several attacks in Plateau state spanning May 15-17, according to reports from Morning Star News and Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW); more than 100 in attacks spanning May and June in Benue state, Morning Star and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) reported; and 43 in Nasarawa state in mid-May, Morning Star reported.

Tens of thousands were displaced, according to Morning Star and CSW. Whole villages, dozens of church buildings and thousands of homes reportedly were destroyed. Grain was looted.

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(June 20) Ex-Pope Benedict’s Cross Stolen From Bavarian Church | GERMANY

Former Pope Benedict XVI is known for his devotion to the Catholic faith and his commitment to spreading the message of Christianity around the world. His love for the Church is evident in the many symbols and artifacts he has used throughout his life, including a cross that he wore on his chest. Unfortunately, this cross has been stolen from a church in southern Germany where it was on display.

The theft of this important religious artifact has caused outrage among Catholics around the world. Many are calling for the thief to be brought to justice and for the cross to be returned to its rightful place in the church. In this article, we will explore the significance of the cross and why it is so important to Catholics.

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(June 19) Ottawa Priest Removed From Church After Civil Suit Alleges Sexual Misconduct | CANADA 

An Ottawa priest has been removed from his position as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish after allegations of sexual misconduct were levelled in a civil suit.

In a statement published on its website, the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall said Rev. Jessimar Cavan-Tapia had been removed from public ministry until further notice “as a precautionary measure and following the canon law process.”

Canon law is the legal system the Roman Catholic Church uses to govern itself. In June 2021, the Vatican updated canon law to criminalize the sexual abuse of vulnerable adults as well as children.

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