Clergy Abuse




Organizations
Roman Catholic Church Estimated $30 Billion
The Church of Jesus Christ of Estimated $100 Billion
Latter-Day Saints
American Baptist Churches USA Estimated $35 Million
The Episcopal Church Estimated $6 Billion
Background
According to the World Council of Churches, churches have a vital role to play in the lives of every American by promoting justice and peace in the world.
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. The specific names and roles of the clergy vary by denomination, and there is a wide range of formal and informal clergy positions, including deacons, elders, priests, bishops, preachers, pastors, and ministers. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion’s doctrines and practices. There are approximately 400,000 people employed as Clergy in the U.S.
As members of organized religion, clergy have become heroes and mentors of young men women, and play a vital role in shaping their minds and building character.
There are approximately 50-65 million Catholics, 5-6.5 million Mormons, 140-165 million Protestants (50 million Baptists; 3-4 million Episcopalians).
Sexual Abuse Claims / Concerns
Sexual abuse by clergy has occurred for hundreds of years, but it became the subject of widespread publicity in 1984 with the celebrated case of Father Gilbert Gauthe in Lafayette, Louisiana. Recently however, church officials, congregations, and professional organizations have begun to deal more openly with it. Within faith communities and ministries professional misconduct can involve pastors, lay leaders, camp staff, volunteer church leadership, or representatives of a faith community.
Today, thousands of clergy have been identified as perpetrators of sexual abuse, and the number of victims believed to have been abused are likely to be in the tens of thousands.
Clergy misconduct includes sexualized behavior, inappropriate words and innuendo, harassment, threats, physical movement and contact, hugs, kisses, touching, intercourse, emotional and spiritual manipulation. It is a grave injustice toward another person, which violates personal boundaries. At the same time, it violates the entire religious community, because a sacred trust with the congregation has been betrayed.
According to the nonprofit advocacy organization BishopAccountability.org, the average settlement amount for victims of clergy sex abuse is approximately $268,000.
Information on the Topic of Clergy Sex Abuse
Vatican Finds Pope John Paul II and Others Downplayed or Dismissed Sex Abuse by Ex-Cardinal McCarrick (11-10-2020)
Who Knew About Former Cardinal McCarrick’s Alleged Sexual Abuse? Tomorrow, We Might Find Out (11-9-2020)
https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/11/08/vatican-pope-francis-mccarrick-report-sex-abuse
UPDATE: Vatican Report on Investigation into Ex-Cardinal McCarrick to be Released November 10 (11-6-2020)
Vatican to Release McCarrick Report Tuesday, Spans 1930-2017 (11-6-2020)
https://apnews.com/article/sexual-abuse-by-clergy-1568ef53ece917392738adf034f78bc7
Network of those Abused by Priests (11-6-2020)
Crusade Against Clergy Abuse (11-6-2020)
https://www.crusadeagainstclergyabuse.com/index.html
Documenting the Abuse Crisis in the Roman Catholic Church (11-2-2020)
http://bishopaccountability.org
Roman Catholic Church Sex Abuse Cases (10-25-2020)
https://www.nytimes.com/topic/organization/roman-catholic-church-sex-abuse-cases
Michigan Clergy Abuse Probe Identifies 454 Accused Priests, 811 Victims
(10-21-2020)
7 Names to be Added to New Orleans Clergy Abuse List (10-14-2020)
New York Catholic Diocese Files for Bankruptcy to Cover Abuse Lawsuit Costs
(10-1-2020)
Clergy Sex Abuse Allegations Triple, U.S. Catholic Bishops Report (6-26-2020)
Mormon Church has Misled Members on $100 Billion Tax-Exempt Investment Fund, Whistleblower Alleges (12-17-2019)
Almost 1,700 Priests and Clergy Accused of Sex Abuse are Unsupervised (10-4-2019)
Scandals, Compensation Programs Lead Catholic Clergy Sex Abuse Complaints to Quadruple in 2019 (6-26-2019)
The Church with the $6 Billion Portfolio (2-8-2019)
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/08/nyregion/trinity-church-manhattan-real-estate.html
Attorney General Madigan Provides Update on Investigation into Catholic Church (12-19-2018)
https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/pressroom/2018_12/20181219.html
Milwaukee Archdiocese Offers Settlement for Victims of Clergy Sex Abuse
(8-5-2015)
Survivor Network of Those Abused by Priests – Female Victims of Clergy Abuse
https://www.snapnetwork.org/female_victims/female_victims_index.htm
Reports of Priest and Clergy Abuse by State
https://www.meneolawgroup.com/personal-injury/clergy-sexual-abuse/by-state/
Clergy Sexual Abuse Statute of Limitations
https://www.meneolawgroup.com/personal-injury/clergy-sexual-abuse/statute-of-limitations/
Shining Light on Baptist Clergy Sex Abuse
http://stopbaptistpredators.org/index.htm