Irish religious order issues appeal to abuse victims of Canadian priest

A Catholic religious order in Ireland is looking for Canadian victims of noted pro-life pastor Fr. Ted Colleton.

The callout comes as the Spiritan Provincial acknowledges “sexual abuse carried out by Fr. Colleton in his role as Spiritual Director and Counsellor at Blackrock College” in Ireland.

“I wish to declare, for the purposes of public record and the upcoming Commission of Inquiry into child sexual abuse in secondary schools in Ireland, that the Spiritans have issued a written apology to a former pupil at Blackrock College,” wrote Brendan Carr, head of the Spiritan Provincial in Ireland, in a press release issued this week.

Colleton, who also worked in Kenya, was transferred to Canada in 1971. He retired in 2007 and died in 2011. He is well known in this country for his pro-life work. Niagara Region Right to Life holds an annual essay contest for high school seniors dubbed The Father Ted Colleton Scholarship Program.

“News of formal allegations of abuse comes as a shock to us and, we expect, to those who knew Fr. Ted and his work in defence of life,” said Jeff Gunnarson, National President of Campaign Life Coalition.

“We fully recognize the gravity of any allegation of sexual abuse, especially involving a minor. For this reason, we are approaching this matter with the seriousness, charity, and concern for truth that it deserves.”

The Spiritan Provincial in Ireland is asking anyone in either country “who suffered childhood or any abuse,” by Colleton to reach out to is safeguarding office in Dublin via safeguarding@spiritan.ie.

Liam O’Connor told Village Media that he first reported the historic abuse he suffered at Colleton’s hands in 2002. He said the incident happened in 1967 when he was 14 years old.

“I spent eight years in therapy and felt strong enough to report my abuse,” said O’Connor. “The Garda said that because of his age – Colleton was 89 and living in Canada – they would have to apply for an extradition order which would not be granted so, they wouldn’t take the case forward.”

In May 2023, after a Restorative Justice Meeting, O’Connor was issued a formal apology from the head of the Spiritans at the time. O’Connor said officials in Canada including members of the Spiritan Province of TransCanada and Colleton himself were notified about the report.

“The complaint against Edward (Ted) Colleton was also reported at the time the complaint was made, to the statutory authorities in Ireland, An Garda Siochana (Irish National Police Service) and Tusla (Child and Family Agency, Ireland), and to the NBSCCCI (the Catholic Church Body in Ireland for Child Safeguarding),” said Carr.

Diocese places Boynton Beach priest on administrative leave after 'serious charges'

The Diocese of Palm Beach has placed the Rev. Alex J. Vargas, parish priest of St. Thomas More Parish in Boynton Beach, on administrative leave after what it described Thursday as “serious charges” involving the priest.

In a statement posted Thursday afternoon, the diocese said a formal investigation has been launched and that Vargas’ ministerial powers have been withdrawn effective immediately.

“To ensure the safety of all persons involved and to preserve the integrity of the investigative process, Father Vargas has been placed on administrative leave,” the diocese said.

The diocese said Vargas is barred from practicing any ministry and from having contact with parishioners, employees, volunteers, ministries or affiliated organizations of the Diocese of Palm Beach, including St. Thomas More Parish, unless he receives express permission from the diocese.

The diocese did not provide details about the nature of the charges in its announcement. It said the matter has been reported to “competent civil authorities.”

“As both civil law and canonical law recognize it, Father Vargas enjoys the presumption of innocence and is not considered guilty at this time,” the statement said.

Effective immediately, the Very Rev. Antony Pulikal has been appointed parochial administrator of St. Thomas More Parish, with full pastoral, administrative and financial authority, according to the diocese.

Vargas was installed as pastor of St. Thomas More Parish in July 2025, according to a previous diocesan article.

The Diocese of Palm Beach said it remains committed to maintaining safe environments in its parishes, schools and ministries. 

Ombudsman called in by priest after community centre hit by £17k bill

A PRIEST in Bradford has complained about Yorkshire Gas and Power (YGP) to the Energy Ombudsman after a community centre incurred a bill of £17,000 for four months.

The Interim Priest-in-Charge of Thornbury, Woodhall and Waterloothe, the Revd Calum Burke, said that, despite repeated efforts to reach a resolution, the company had “doubled down” on the Thornbury Centre’s bill and had referred the case to debt-collectors. 

The team running the centre, Mr Burke said, believed that the bill included “significant out-of-contract charges that have arisen due to failures and delays in YGP’s own change-of-tenancy process”, and that, at appropriate contract rates, the bill would be more than halved.

The Thornbury Centre, in Bradford, was opened in 1999 at the behest of the congregation of St Margaret of Antioch, whose original building was demolished owing to subsidence. As well as a home for the church, it has since served as a multifaith community centre. The parish is one of the most deprived in the country.

In 2022, in the wake of the pandemic, the Thornbury Centre charity was wound up by its trustees and transferred to another charitable trust. 

But, when Mr Burke arrived in 2024, he became concerned that the centre was not being managed effectively. He decided to bring it back under local control, and the centre is now run by a new charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), the Thornbury Charity. Mr Burke chairs its trustees.

“It has been amazing to see how the centre has begun to serve the community once again,” he said. “We now operate a very busy food pantry, providing low-cost weekly shopping for those experiencing food poverty. We also run a weekly toddler group in the church, attended predominantly by Muslim women and their children.

“More recently, we piloted a cookery school in partnership with Bradford Jobcentre, working with 18 people who had been experiencing long-term unemployment. Over the coming month, we plan to open a community library and launch a gardening project for women in the local community. Following the summer, we will also be opening a youth group with a focus on social action.”

In July 2025, the CIO informed YGP of the change of tenancy — a request that was “neither acknowledged nor logged”, Mr Burke said. “We subsequently followed up with a number of emails and telephone calls, many of which went unanswered. More recently, both our local MP and I have written directly to the director of YGP, but we have received no response. We are more than willing to pay for the energy we have used, but only at a fair and reasonable rate.”

The bill, received in April, pertains to the period from July to November and stands at £17,198.30.

In recent weeks, YGP had “doubled down on their position, and, at no point, have they appeared willing to engage in constructive dialogue”, Mr Burke said. “Even while the matter is under investigation by the ombudsman, they have referred the case to a debt-collection agency. The only resolution they have offered is for us to enter into a new agreement with them and repay the disputed amount through instalments. Our understanding is that this would be contrary to Ofgem guidance.”

The Thornbury Charity has calculated that, on appropriate contract rates, the bill would be approximately 45 per cent of the £17,000.

On 5 May, Mr Burke wrote to the CEO of YGP, Rishi Raichura, noting that “requests for due consideration” had been rejected and that the matter had been referred to the Energy Ombudsman. As of last week, no reply had been received, Mr Burke said.

A statement from YGP to the Church Times said: “We are sorry to hear of the difficulties being experienced by Revd Calum Burke. Other than the content of this email, we are unable to comment on this matter due to the complaint that has been raised to the Energy Ombudsman. Once a ruling has been finalised by the ombudsman, any actions imposed on Yorkshire Gas and Power will of course be carried out.”

Archdeacon Andrew Orr elected as the next Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

Archdeacon Andrew Orr elected as the next Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross.

The Episcopal Electoral College for the Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, meeting in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, has elected the Ven Andrew Orr, Archdeacon of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, as the new Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross.  

Archdeacon Orr succeeds the Rt Revd Paul Colton, who retired in April of this year.

The Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland, who chaired the Electoral College, said: “I am delighted that the electoral college of Cork, Cloyne and Ross has elected the Venerable Andrew Orr. I look forward to working with Bishop–elect Orr and wish him everything that is best in a blessed and joyous ministry”.

The Bishop–elect said: “I am delighted and honoured to have received the votes of the electoral college today. I am looking forward to walking together with the wonderful team of clergy and lay people in Cork, Cloyne and Ross and under God’s guidance to journey together into the wonderful future that is ahead of us”.

Following confirmation of the election by the House of Bishops, the Bishop–elect will be consecrated as a bishop on a date to be determined.

Archdeacon Andrew Orr

The Ven Andrew Orr is Archdeacon of Cork, Cloyne and Ross.

Ordained deacon in 1992 and priest in 1993, he has held a variety of parish roles across Ireland, including incumbencies in Castlecomer, Castleknock, and Tullow, and previously served as Archdeacon of Ossory and Leighlin.

In his current ministry he is also Chaplain to Midleton College, Priest–in–Charge of Youghal Union, and an Honorary Canon of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork.

Beyond parish life, he is actively involved in church and environmental work, formerly chairing Eco–Congregation Ireland and representing the Church of Ireland in international environmental networks.

Enoch Burke fails in bid to remove panel over bias at fitness-to-teach hearing

An inquiry panel overseeing a fitness-to-teach inquiry of the Teaching Council into allegations of professional misconduct against Enoch Burke has rejected the teacher’s application that it should stand down over claims they were biased against him.

The panel, including its chairperson, Andy Pike, ruled that both he, separately, and the three-person panel as a whole would not recuse themselves from the inquiry into Burke’s repeated attendance at his school when suspended and in breach of court orders.

Burke claimed the ruling was “a grave and monumental error that a man who champions the 'they' pronoun will be allowed to chair a panel inquiry into me.”

The teacher had applied before a hearing on Wednesday for both Pike and the panel to stand down from overseeing the inquiry on grounds of objective bias.

He was suspended by Wilson’s Hospital in 2022 and later dismissed by the Co Westmeath school last month over his refusal to follow a direction to address a student by a new name as well as the pronouns “they” and “them”, and his subsequent conduct with the principal.

The German and history teacher, who has spent over 700 days in prison over his refusal to obey court orders, maintains the request went against his religious beliefs as an evangelical Christian.

Announcing the panel’s decision on Friday, Pike said the panel would not and could not be required to make any findings regarding the lawfulness of instructions given to Burke regarding the use of pronouns or any issues of religious freedom.

The chairperson said the test for objective bias was whether a reasonable and informed observer would have a reasonable apprehension that a decision maker would not be able to give the matter an impartial hearing.

Pike said the panel had noted that the apprehension of the affected party was “not relevant.”

The panel determined that there was no rational, cogent or logical connection between matters raised by Burke and the apprehension that he would not get an impartial hearing.

The teacher had cited three social media posts by Pike as alleged proof of his bias in an inquiry which he had described as “a hypocritical witch hunt.”

They included one in which Pike posted “another Enoch float” on his X (formerly Twitter) account on March 17th, 2023 together with a link for a video from a St Patrick’s Day parade which “mocked and parodied” him.

Pike said a reasonable person would be aware that St Patrick’s Day floats portraying Burke were “a national phenomenon at the relevant time” with extensive coverage not only on social media but also in print and broadcast media.

He observed that it was also over a year and a half before a complaint against Burke was considered by the Teaching Council.

The teacher had also criticised another tweet by Pike from July 2018 in which he recommended that anyone with an interest in mental health, addiction or LGBT issues should follow the account of Neville Southall, the former Everton and Wales goalkeeper, as it was “the most positive Twitter feed I have seen.”

Pike said the panel had concluded that any reasonable person would be aware that Southall allowed his Twitter feed to highlight various topics not limited to transgender issues.

He pointed out that he had not described any individual posts by Southall as positive, but rather the feed.

Pike said claims by Burke that he had a “radical viewpoint” and advocated the use of the “they” pronoun on social media as well as criticising those who refused to use that pronoun were “simply inaccurate.”

The teacher also took issue with a retweet by Pike on November 27th 2025 – a few days after he had been returned to prison – about Wilson’s Hospital by someone whom he claimed went out of their way to oppose his (Burke’s) position.

However, Pike said the original post was by an individual student reporting a positive experience with SNAs which contained no reference that the school was Wilson’s Hospital.

The panel also rejected the separate application by Burke that it should recuse itself from the case over complaints about its lack of independence as well as decisions taken during the preliminary stage of the inquiry including the role of its legal assessor, Lorna Lynch.

The teacher had complained he had received correspondence on behalf of the inquiry panel from the legal firm, Fieldfisher, which acts for the director of the Teaching Council.

However, Pike said that was incorrect as any communication from the panel was through the regulatory body’s secretariat which was allowed under its rules.

He said the panel’s legal assessor had intervened at preliminary hearings to ensure that the teacher was given an opportunity to make submissions or ask questions.

Burke said a criticism by Burke that the panel’s two other members – Adrian Guinan and Clodagh O’Hara – did not contribute at preliminary hearings because they did not ask him questions was “simply incorrect.”

He said decisions taken at preliminary hearings in relation to hearing of the evidence of a witness in private and postponing the date of a full hearing were “fairly and properly made” although Burke might not agree with them.

Pike said the inquiry panel would allow both Burke and the Teaching Council to consider their ruling and asked the parties to indicate next week what the next steps in the process would be.

Burke, who attended the remote hearing via video link from Castlerea Prison, had his microphone muted after he started to describe the ruling as a “grave and monumental error.”

Pike informed the teacher that the panel was not taking representations on its ruling “ at this point in time.”

The Lost Children of Tuam to premiere at Galway Film Fleadh

The Lost Children of Tuam is to premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh on Saturday, July 11th.

It is based on The New York Times article, The Lost Children of Tuam by Dan Barry, published in 2017, and features Monica Dolan as Catherine Corless alongside Andrew Bennett and Ian McElhinney.

The film tells the real-life story of how, while researching the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam for a local historical society, history enthusiast Catherine Corless uncovered the devastating possibility that as many as 796 children had been buried in unmarked graves on the property.

The discovery began a campaign for justice for both victims and survivors of the home that has had a lasting impact on Ireland today.

Key cast members and creatives are set to attend.

The film was directed by Frank Berry of Aisha and Michael Inside, and written by Rebecca Leniewicz.

Catherine Corless said that the director, writer, producers and whole team put "their hearts and energy into this film, to portray the truth of what really happened in the Tuam Home.

"I am indebted to you all for bringing this movie to the big screen," she said.

In a joint statement, the producers, which include Liam Neeson, said "audiences will now see this profound story of relentless pursuit and dedication in uncovering the horrific truth of the events in Tuam that shocked our nation to its core and is still reverberating in every aspect of our society. The truth will out.”

Liam Neeson optioned the rights to the New York Times article and acts as producer for El Paso Films, along with Jules Daly for Big Red Films, Chelsea Morgan Hoffmann, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe for Oscar-winning Element Pictures and Martina Niland for Port Pictures.

The world premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh brings the story to audiences in the west of Ireland, just a short distance from where the events took place.

"We could not imagine a more meaningful and fitting start to the journey of this film," director Berry said.

Galway Film Fleadh programmer Charlene Lydon described the movie as a profoundly moving and important piece of filmmaking.

"Frank Berry approaches this story with immense sensitivity, compassion and humanity, creating a film that honours the lives of the children and the experiences of survivors while confronting a painful chapter of our shared history," Lydon said.

The world premiere will take place at 8.20pm on Saturday, July 11th at Town Hall Theatre in Galway, and tickets are available here.

Lack of vocations forces the Jesuits to leave Murcia after more than 150 years of presence

The Society of Jesus has closed its last religious community in the diocese of Cartagena, ending more than 150 years of continuous presence in Murcia since the order’s return in 1871. 

The official farewell took place last Sunday at the church of Santo Domingo, where the bishop of Cartagena, Monsignor José Manuel Lorca Planes, presided over a large thanksgiving Mass for the work carried out by generations of Jesuits in the region.

The decision responds to the deep vocational crisis affecting religious life in Europe and the Society of Jesus itself. The provincial of the Jesuits in Spain, Father Enric Puiggròs Llavinés, acknowledged that the order is going through “an institutional moment of great weakness” caused by the scarcity of new vocations and the progressive aging of its members.

The closure of this community marks the end of a historical presence that dates back to 1555, when the sons of Saint Ignatius first settled in Murcia.

The closure of the last Jesuit community

The departure of the Jesuits does not affect only the church of Santo Domingo. With it disappears the last stable religious community of the Society of Jesus in the entire diocese of Cartagena.

At the end of the celebration, the official document certifying the closure of this last community was read, in which the diocese expressed its gratitude “to all the Jesuits who have served in this land,” from those who preached and taught to those who quietly carried out their apostolate from the confessional and spiritual accompaniment.

The document also recognizes that the diocese accepts this decision “in a spirit of ecclesial communion,” understanding the circumstances that have made it necessary and committing itself to safeguarding the spiritual heritage received from the Ignatian tradition.

A history that began in the time of Saint Ignatius

The presence of the Society of Jesus in Murcia has its roots in the years of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. As the provincial of Spain recalled, the Jesuits founded the college of San Esteban in 1555, which remained active until the expulsion of the order decreed by Charles III in 1767.

The Society returned to Murcia in 1871, taking charge of the church of Santo Domingo. Years later it also received the monastery of San Jerónimo, now the seat of the Catholic University of Saint Anthony of Murcia. For decades, from these locations an intense educational, spiritual and missionary activity was promoted that left a deep mark on the religious life of the region.

The provincial himself highlighted that from San Jerónimo numerous popular missions departed that helped strengthen the Christian life of the Murcian huerta and spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

In the last fifty years, after abandoning other apostolic works, the Jesuits’ activity had been concentrated mainly around the church of Santo Domingo, the Loyola Center and the ministry of the Eucharist, reconciliation and the Spiritual Exercises.

“It leaves our hearts wounded”

The farewell was marked by a tone of gratitude and sorrow. In his homily, Monsignor José Manuel Lorca Planes confessed that this kind of farewell “leaves the heart wounded” and recalled the spiritual imprint the Society has left on the diocese.

“The Jesuits have left us, throughout the ages, the imprint of education, missionary zeal, love for the Heart of Jesus and obedience to the Pope as a fourth vow,” the bishop stated.

The prelate also evoked previous departures of the order in the region, such as those in Caravaca de la Cruz, Lorca, San Esteban or the monastery of Los Jerónimos, places where the historical imprint of the Society is still visible.

Addressing the religious directly, Lorca Planes thanked them for “their lives spent and worn out for this Church” and assured them that the diocese will continue to receive them “with open arms.”

The retreat of religious life in Europe

The provincial of Spain framed the decision within a phenomenon affecting numerous religious congregations on the continent.

“That things have happened this way, after trying for quite some time to make them otherwise, is one more chapter of that moment of retreat that religious life is experiencing today in the Church of Europe,” he stated.

Puiggròs acknowledged that the Society is forced to reorganize its presences because it can no longer maintain communities alongside all its apostolic works. “We are repositioning ourselves here and there, always experiencing the pain of departure,” he explained.

A farewell that does not want to be final

Despite the closure of the community, the Jesuits wanted to emphasize that Ignatian spirituality will continue to be present in Murcia through various apostolic initiatives and the work carried out by ECCA Social and the Loyola Center.

The provincial concluded his intervention by leaving the door open to a possible future return.

“We place the future in God’s hands and entrust ourselves to the guidance He gives it, with the desire that He may allow our withdrawal not to be definitive.”

With this farewell, a presence concludes that, amid expulsions, returns and centuries of apostolate, has been part of Murcia’s religious history for nearly five centuries.

Civil Guard recovers the Aneto cross two months after it was cut in an act of vandalism

The Civil Guard has recovered the historic Aneto cross, which had been missing since April after being torn from the summit of the Pyrenees mountain. 

The three-meter-tall structure, weighing nearly 100 kilos, was found half-buried in the snow during a rescue operation and has been taken to Benasque while the investigation continues.

According to the Civil Guard itself on its Instagram account, the discovery occurred at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, when members of the Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group (GREIM) from Benasque and the Huesca Air Unit were heading to carry out a rescue in the area.

While flying over the north face of the Aneto, the officers spotted an object partially covered by snow at the base of a wall about 200 meters below the summit that could have been a cross. Once the operation was completed, they returned to the site and confirmed it was the missing Aneto Cross, now visible after the snowmelt.

For safety reasons, the structure was extracted using a crane cycle and transported by helicopter to the Benasque helipad. It was later placed in Civil Guard facilities. Once the proceedings are concluded, it will be handed over to the Benasque Town Council, which will decide whether to reinstall it at its original location.

The cross was destroyed with an angle grinder

The recovery of the cross comes two months after it was the target of an act of vandalism. In early April, the structure had been cut with an angle grinder and torn from its base in a hate attack.

The cross had crowned the Aneto since 1951, when it was installed by a group of Catalan mountaineers. Over the decades, it became one of the most recognizable symbols of the summit and was accompanied by an image of the Virgin of the Pillar and a carving of Saint Martial, patron saint of the Benasque Valley.

The investigation opened after the attack initially failed to locate the structure, which remained hidden for weeks in a difficult-to-access area of the mountain and covered by snow accumulated during the winter.

A symbol that had suffered other attacks

It was not the first time the cross had been damaged. In 1999 it was toppled by a storm and had to be reinstalled. Years later, in 2018, it appeared painted yellow by supporters of the Catalan independence process.

The April disappearance reopened the debate on the protection of religious symbols located in natural spaces of special historical and cultural value.

The reparative gesture of a young Frenchman

The recovery of the original cross comes just weeks after the initiative led by young Frenchman Maël Le Lagadec.

In May of this year, the young man climbed to the summit of the Aneto carrying a 35-kilo walnut wood cross to place it in the spot left empty after the attack. The journey involved covering 28 kilometers and overcoming an elevation gain of 1,900 meters over nearly fourteen hours.

His gesture aimed to symbolically repair the destruction of one of the best-known emblems of the Pyrenean mountain.

Silence and discretion: the confidentiality rules of the upcoming consistory

The cardinals who will participate in the extraordinary consistory convened by Leo XIV for June 26 and 27 have received internal documentation that details the work program and establishes strict confidentiality rules for the development of the sessions. 

According to information released in advance by Messa in Latino, the document emphasizes avoiding press statements during the works, preserving confidentiality on the debates, and not publicly attributing the interventions made by the participants.

The meeting, which will take place in the Paul VI Hall and the New Synod Hall, is one of the first large-scale consultation meetings of the current pontificate and will be dedicated to reflecting on the international situation, contemporary challenges for the Church’s mission, and the process of applying the Synod.

A confidential note for members of the College of Cardinals

The documentation distributed to the cardinals is explicitly marked as «confidential» and explains that the consistory responds to the desire of Leo XIV to exploit «the heritage of experience and wisdom» present in the College of Cardinals.

The text underlines that the days have been not conceived as a deliberative meeting, but as a space for listening and common discernment on some of the issues that today challenge the universal Church.

The works will begin on Friday June 26 with a Mass presided over by Leo XIV.

Appeals court rules Seton Hall University does not have to disclose entirety of sex abuse report

Seton Hall University will not have to fully disclose a report detailing its handling of sex abuse allegations connected to disgraced and deceased former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, a New Jersey appeals court ruled this week.

The school has been battling efforts to force disclosure of the so-called “Latham report,” an investigation commissioned by Seton Hall itself amid fallout surrounding the McCarrick scandal.

New Jersey Judge Avion Benjamin had ordered the school in November 2025 to turn over the Latham report to lawyers representing victims of clergy abuse. The school had previously argued that the report was protected by attorney-client privilege.

In a June 15 ruling, the Superior Court of New Jersey’s appellate division ruled mostly in favor of the school, holding that the relationship between the school and the law firm Latham & Watkins LLP enjoyed a measure of attorney-client protection.

Attorney Gabriel Magee, who represents multiple Church abuse victims as part of consolidated litigation that included suits against Seton Hall, told EWTN News in May that the Latham report was “created for self-critical analysis by Seton Hall” and thus fell outside of the protection of attorney-client privilege or “work-product privilege.”

Yet the appeals court on June 15 held that work-privilege considerations have to be adjudicated on a “case-by-case, fact-specific analysis.” Attorney-client protections, meanwhile, apply to “notes, communications, and other documents” prepared “at the behest of and for” legal counsel.

The school did not respond to a request for comment on June 16 regarding the decision.

The appellate court said one section of the report regarding the university’s sexual harassment policies is “clearly a self-critical analysis” that was “not prepared in anticipation of litigation” and thus could be disclosed as part of legal proceedings.

The judges said that “some materials” in that section could be subject to redactions depending on the subject material.

Magee told EWTN News on June 16 that while plaintiff attorneys “appreciate the appellate division’s ruling that some portions of the Latham report must be produced, we are still digesting the opinion and considering our appeal options with respect to the rest of the decision.”

The Latham report, which has never been made public, is expected to examine whether Monsignor Joseph Reilly, then-rector of Seton Hall’s Immaculate Conception Seminary (and now university president), knew about abuse claims and failed to report them. Reilly was appointed president in 2024.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, in February 2025 ordered an independent review into the controversy.

The prelate said at the time that the review would examine “how the findings of [the earlier reports] relate to Monsignor Joseph Reilly, including whether they were communicated to any and all appropriate personnel at the archdiocese and Seton Hall University and Monsignor Reilly, and if so, by what means and by whom.”

The review is still ongoing, the archdiocese said in May.

Pope Leo XIV declares American religious founder Mary Teresa Tallon venerable

Pope Leo XIV has declared American religious sister Mary Teresa Tallon venerable.

The pontiff signed a decree on Thursday recognizing the heroic virtue of the foundress of the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate in New York. He also recognized the heroic virtue of several others, bringing them closer to sainthood.

Just before signing the decree, he met with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

Mary Teresa Tallon: Making every soul count

Tallon was born on May 6, 1867, in Hanover, New York, as the daughter of Irish immigrants.

In 1887, at the age of 19, Tallon joined the Sisters of the Holy Cross, despite her family’s disapproval. She remained part of the congregation for the next 33 years, teaching in Catholic schools in South Bend, Indiana.

During this time, Tallon was inspired to establish a new congregation dedicated to contemplation and to preaching the Gospel to the neglected. In 1920, she left the Sisters of the Holy Cross and, on Aug. 15, established the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate (PVMI). She gave it the motto “Make every soul count.”

Considered a gifted scholar, Tallon authored a report documenting the first decade of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine in New York for the National Catechetical Congress in 1936.

Tallon died on Feb. 10, 1954, after a prolonged illness.

In 2013, she was declared a servant of God in recognition of her holiness.

Others declared venerable

Pope Leo XIV on June 18 also moved several other servants of God along the path to sainthood.

Two Italians were declared venerable: Maria Agnese Tribbioli, a religious sister who founded the Pie Operaie di San Giuseppe congregation, and Maria Petra Giordano, a Dominican nun.

Others included Spanish nun Clara Andreu y Malferit and Belgian missionary Júlio Maria de Lombaerde.

Leo also recognized the martyrdom of Juan Torres Torres and 19 companions, all Catholic priests, for having been killed “in odium fidei” (“in hatred of the faith”) in Spain during the Spanish Civil War.

Federal judge says government can deposit money to seize diocesan land for border fencing

Amid a legal dispute, the federal government will be permitted to put down a six-figure deposit as it moves to acquire a large parcel of land from the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, in order to install fencing and other security measures along the U.S.-Mexico border.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Gonzales said in a June 15 ruling the government could deposit the $183,071, which he said would “allow for the safekeeping of funds pending resolution” of the dispute.

The order represents a blow for the Las Cruces Diocese, which since May has been fending off the government’s attempt to seize the land under eminent domain.

The government says it seeks the land, located northwest of El Paso, Texas, “to construct, install, operate, and maintain roads, fencing, vehicle barriers, security lighting, cameras, sensors, and related structures designed to help secure the United States/Mexico border within the state of New Mexico.”

The diocese had sought to block the deposit of the funds amid the legal fight, but Gonzales said allowing the deposit will “not interfere with, alter, or nullify [the diocese’s] right to challenge the validity of the taking.”

The judge further argued that “transferring title [of the land] to the United States is in no way a final or irrevocable action that would deprive [the diocese] of an opportunity to contest the validity of the taking.”

The disputed land parcel runs along the base of Mount Cristo Rey. Atop of that mountain is a 29-foot-tall statue of Christ, marking a shrine the diocese said in May is the “site of annual pilgrimages” that draw thousands to the mountain.

The diocese had earlier told the government that the land seizure would “constitute a significant infringement on religious freedom and the rights of worship” given the religious significance of the site.

Pope Leo expected to visit 5 Peruvian cities in November, president says

Peruvian President José María Balcázar said Pope Leo XIV has given him “permission” to confirm to reporters the pope’s intention to visit five cities in the country — Lima, Chiclayo, Piura, Pucallpa, and Cusco — during the first half of November.

“He has confirmed to us that he will be in Peru in the first half of November. From Lima, he will go to Chiclayo, from Chiclayo to Piura, from Piura to Pucallpa, in the jungle, and he would also visit Cusco,” he said, following a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on June 18.

The president noted that the team responsible for organizing papal flights will ultimately determine the route.

He also did not rule out a possible stop in Arequipa: “As [Pope Leo] will handle it, according to his team of cardinals and the way he plans everything, it’s possible that he could also be in Arequipa.”

Balcázar also said he offered the pontiff several suggestions. Among them, he proposed that after his visit to Chiclayo, he could travel by helicopter “to the Andean area of Incahuasi and Cañaris, which is a very poor, Quechua-speaking region that he knows very well.”

“We have offered him a helicopter to reach any place he wishes quickly, because he wants to cover as many small towns as possible in the north and also in the jungle and Cusco,” he told the group of journalists, among them EWTN News, waiting for him after his private audience with the Holy Father.

Balcázar shares details of his meeting with the Holy Father

The president described the meeting as “magnificent and friendly” and highlighted as a meaningful detail that he is a “congressman for Lambayeque, Chiclayo,” the city where the pope lived from 2015 to 2023.

“We have known each other before,” he explained, referring to the reason why the private audience, held in the Vatican’s Apostolic Library, lasted “almost two hours.”

Balcázar’s visit coincided with the vote count from the second round of Peru’s presidential elections. According to the president, they discussed the country’s political situation, especially the need for the transition of power after the election to be “as orderly as possible, without major conflicts, and for the loser to recognize the winner.” He added that the pope “is concerned that we are still in the middle of this vote.”

The official proclamation of the winner is expected in mid-July.

During the meeting, they also discussed the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, published May 25, which focuses on issues such as artificial intelligence and human rights. “We went through his entire encyclical, which, of course, I have read, and what comes through is a powerful call to the common good,” he said.

They also spoke about migration. The pope, Balcázar explained, is “aware that there are criminals who migrate from one country to another,” but at the same time is “even more aware that we should not persecute migrants moving from one country to another, because the world has always been marked by migration everywhere, and those migrants must be given the right to life, especially, as he emphasizes, in a very important chapter on human rights.”

“Those human rights must have concrete substance, not just a lyrical declaration, but must be translated into material and objective realities,” he added.

After leaving the Apostolic Palace around 1:00 p.m. Rome time, the president went to the Vatican Gardens, where he stopped to pray before the image of St. Rose of Lima, enthroned in a historic ceremony presided over by the pope in January.

Vatican highlights good relations with Peru

According to the Vatican, in the subsequent meeting with Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and the Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, “satisfaction” was expressed over the good relations between the Holy See and Peru, along with a desire to strengthen them further.

They also discussed “matters of common interest, including socioeconomic developments, illegal mining activity, the promotion of the common good and dialogue, and efforts to foster social cohesion.”

Likewise, “there was an exchange of views on the regional and international sociopolitical situation, with particular attention to migration, organized crime, and the repercussions of conflicts.”

Visit still awaiting official confirmation

At the beginning of June, Balcázar stated that Leo XIV would visit Peru on Nov. 10, though several months remain before the trip and the Holy See has not yet officially confirmed the final itinerary.

New bishop 'very excited' to be elected at scandal-hit cathedral

A new Bishop of Bangor has been elected a year after a complaints about "blurred" sexual boundaries, inappropriate language and excessive drinking emerged at the scandal-hit cathedral.

The Very Revd Manon Ceridwen James was chosen by the Church in Wales Electoral College to succeed former Archbishop of Wales Andrew John, who announced his retirement from the role in June 2025.

Dr Manon James became the Dean of Bangor Cathedral in October, where she has been "addressing numerous challenging governance and finance issues", the Church in Wales said.

Archbishop of Wales Cherry Vann said James was "well-known" and "will be a huge asset to the diocese and the Province and the Bench of Bishops".

James, who grew up in Nefyn on the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, was ordained as a deacon at Bangor Cathedral in 1994 and was among the first women to be ordained as a priest in the diocese in 1997.

She has previously performed stand-up comedy and enjoys attending football matches and concerts and travelling with her husband, Dylan.

Her election took place at Holy Trinity Church in Llandudno, Conwy, where 45 clergy and lay representatives from across the Church in Wales, as well as the diocesan bishops, met to reached the required two-thirds majority vote.

Speaking about her new role, James said it felt "very daunting, but I'm also very excited".

"I was brought up in the dioces, so I'm just very excited to be working with a great team here and looking forward to future," she told BBC Radio Wales Drive.

James said that, over the past few months, she had been "working very hard" to address issues raised in a governance review.

She added she had been working closely with other members of the senior team and the diocese to tackle some of the challenges facing the diocese.

James added she "looks forward with colleagues to be able to help people feel confident in the church again and know its for them".

"With a bishop now in place we have more capacity to work together so I'm very hopefull for future," she said.

The Archbishop of Wales said: "Manon is well-known to the people of the diocese and she will be a huge asset to the diocese and the Province and the Bench of Bishops.

"We are delighted at her election and wish her every blessing as she steps into this ministry."

James now has up to 28 days to formally accept the position before the election is ratified by the bishops of the Church in Wales.

In May 2025, the summaries of two reports were published on the Church in Wales website which revealed "a culture in which sexual boundaries had become blurred", inappropriate language had been used and alcohol consumed excessively at the north Wales Cathedral.

It was later revealed a series of serious incident referrals had been made to the Charity Commission in relation to the Bangor Cathedral and diocese in little over a year.

In September the BBC reported the cathedral was considering making more than two thirds of its staff redundant, while threatening those affected with disciplinary action if they discuss the plans.

New hearing for man accused murdering Cork-born bishop in Los Angeles

The man accused of the murder of a Cork-born bishop in Los Angeles is to face a further hearing this month to establish if he is mentally competent to face trial.

The case against Carlos Medina arising out of the police investigation into the gun killing of Bishop David O’Connell in his Los Angeles home in February 2023 has been stalled for almost a year and a half.

Bishop O’Connell, a native of Brooklodge in Glanmire, had served as a priest in the Los Angeles archdiocese since he was ordained in 1979. He was laid to rest in a crypt in Los Angeles Cathedral.

LA county sheriff Robert Luna described him as a peacemaker who “had a passion serving those in need while improving our community".

Medina was charged in February 2023 with the murder of 69-year-old Bishop O’Connell, as well as with a special allegation that he used a firearm during the commission of an offence.

He has denied both charges.

Competency hearing

He faces a competency hearing on June 23 in Hollywood courthouse to establish if he is well enough to stand for trial.

The case against him has been suspended since October 2024 after his lawyers raised concerns about his ability to stand trial.

Their concerns arose during interactions with him following his arrest, while his behaviour in prison as he awaited trial also raised alarm.

An independent expert brought in to assess Medina concluded he was not fit to stand trial.

The first competency hearing took place in the case in October 2024, and the case has been suspended since then.

According to the LA district attorney’s office, Californian law “provides for such a hearing whenever a defense attorney or judge raises the issue of a defendant’s competency to stand trial”.

If Medina is found mentally unfit to stand trial, he will be required to undergo psychiatric treatment by a licensed psychologist. Following that, the judge will decide on what options of treatment are required, which could include referral to a state mental health facility, for a period of up to four months.

Additional time for treatment

After that, the court could grant additional time for treatment, or order that the criminal proceedings against him could continue.

Medina was arrested after barricading himself into his home following the discovery of the bishop's body by a deacon who went to the house after Bishop O’Connell failed to turn up for a scheduled meeting.

Medina’s wife was a housekeeper for Bishop O’Connell while Medina himself also carried out some work for him on a number of occasions.

Following Bishop O’Connell’s death, all county flags in Los Angeles were lowered to half-mast in his honour, while vigils were held nightly in the week after he died.

An exhibit of some of his belongings has been opened in a church where he served.

A project called Blessed are the Peacemakers, a new Catholic education curriculum, which will feature clips and videos from Bishop O’Connell’s life, is set to be introduced next year.

‘Small decrease, pro rata’ in clerical abuse allegations received by Catholic Church board

A total of 178 allegations of abuse by clergy was received by the Catholic Church’s National Board for Safeguarding Children (NBSC) in the nine-month period from April to December 2025.

As the NBSC has decided to move to calendar-year reporting, this latest report covers just the last nine months of 2025.

The previous full-year report, from the end of March 2024 to April of last year, said there had been 385 allegations of abuse during that period, meaning the latest report indicated “a small decrease, pro rata”, according to NBSC chief executive Aidan Gordon.

Of the 178 allegations received, 36 were from dioceses, with 141 from religious congregations, and one “other”, covering an 80-year period from the 1940s to the 2020s.

As to the nature of the allegations involved, 154 (87 per cent) received in the reporting period concerned sexual abuse, while 14 (8 per cent) were of physical abuse, with 8 (4 per cent) not indicating the type of abuse.

Thirty-eight (78 per cent) of the allegations referred to incidents between 1960 and 1989. Just 4 (2 per cent) related to incidents since 2000. The report enters a caveat here, however, noting that 10 (6 per cent) of the allegations did not include a time frame.

A pattern observed by the NBSC in recent years is that a significant number of allegations it has received, generally, relate to the years from 1960 to 1989.

Of the alleged abusers, 115 (66 per cent) are deceased and nine (5 per cent) are in prison, with a further 11 (6 per cent) subject to a management plan, while 31 (18 per cent) have either been laicised, left the diocese/religious congregation or are out of ministry. Eight are listed as “unknown”.

As the NBSC is a non-statutory body with regulatory functions, there are barriers to others sharing personal data with it. It is unable to receive personal identifiers in these allegations due to data protection regulations.

This also makes it impossible to determine whether all 178 allegations reported during the last nine months of last year related to respondents who were previously known and also whether they had been reported in prior periods. That information is held by the relevant diocese, religious congregation or other church body.

The NBSC cannot cross-reference allegations it receives, to establish whether the accused is already known, to check whether the allegation may already have been reported to it by an alternative source or whether there has been more than one allegation against the accused or by the same person making the allegation.

This, too, is to avoid any data protection concerns and is why the NBSC continues to ask that personal data is not shared with it by any church body when requesting advice on, for example, data that identifies or could identify a living individual, or when notifying the NBSC of an allegation of abuse against one of its members.

Meanwhile, in the nine-month period of this latest report, advice on safeguarding was requested of the NBSC on 179 occasions.

Three vacant homes pit Church against State in Blackrock dereliction row

THE Diocese of Cork and Ross is set to resist an attempt by Cork City Council to acquire a trinity of long-neglected, vacant, Church-owned homes on the upmarket Blackrock Road.

The trio of properties at Nos 1, 2 and 3 St Michael’s Terrace, were the subject of a Cork City Council notice of intention to acquire the site by Compulsory Purchased Order, published in the Irish Examiner earlier this month.

The terrace of homes, a longstanding eyesore adjacent to St Michael’s RC Church on Blackrock Road, were advertised for sale in December 2023 at the knockdown price of €200,000 for all three – a fraction of what houses in one of Cork’s more salubrious suburbs normally sell for. 

The Diocesan Trustees had put them on the market as the fastest, fairest, and most effective way of addressing the vacancies, according to the diocesan office at the time. The diocese had also pointed out that site had proven technically difficult, as it is fairly confined, which would add to the cost for development, including for approved housing bodies. This difficulty, the diocese said, had become evident when they prioritised the houses in the summer of 2023.

However Cork City Council’s intervention came after taking “all reasonable steps”, including ongoing dialogue with the site owners, which failed to reach a resolution.

The Council said the site had been the subject of “longterm dereliction without resolution for many years” and that the site owners had been made aware of “potential avenues for redevelopment, via grants or other options”.

The Council placed the terrace on the Derelict Site Register in 2023 which allows them to consider the compulsory acquisition of the site. They have now signaled intent to do so by publishing a notice on June 5 last. A spokesperson said the focus of all actions undertaken is “to return properties to use and remove dereliction”.

Under the Derelict Sites Act, 1990 (as amended by the Planning and Development Act, 2000), the Diocese, as site owner, has until July 8 next to submit an objection to the Council opposing the proposed CEO. If an objection is made and is not withdrawn, the proposed CPO acquisition will be referred to An Coimisiún Pleanála for determination.

In response to queries from the Irish Examiner, the Diocese said it attended to appeal the CPO proposal and intended to return the properties to market, having resolved a title issue.

“In light of the fact that the Diocesan Trustees have been in ongoing communication with Cork City Council in relation to these properties, the Trustees will be appealing the proposal to compulsorily acquire them.

“Furthermore, rectification of title matters have been concluded in recent weeks and these properties are on the point of returning to the market for disposal,” a spokesperson said.

If the properties do return to market, private house hunters may be in a position to apply for vacant property grants to return them to use. There’s also the possibility that an approved housing body may look at increasing the density from the current three units, subject to a planning grant.

St Michael’s Tce is set on a corner entrance to the parish carpark and community centre by St Michael’s Church. The houses predate the church and face down Church Avenue towards impressively redeveloped Marina.

Pope Leo: Safeguarding minors 'is a mandate' for the Church

Pope Leo XIV meets with representatives of the Centro de Investigación y Formación de Protección al Menor, a Latin American organization focused on safeguarding minors, saying this protection 'is a mandate for everyone in the Church' and expressing his wish 'that all spaces in the Church, whether physical or virtual, may truly be places for a fruitful encounter with Jesus Christ, free from fears, suspicions, or distrust.'

“The encounter with Christ marks us in a positive way and leads us toward a life full of love and freedom, whereas situations of abuse do the opposite, causing traumatic wounds that condition and diminish the spiritual and human development of the person.”

Pope Leo made these remarks before his General Audience on Wednesday to members of the Centro de Investigación y Formación de Protección al Menor (“Center for Research and Training on Protection of Minors”), a Latin American interdisciplinary organization focused on preventing abuse and promoting child protection.

He said he was pleased to welcome representatives from different Latin American nations, but with a very clear common goal: working so that ecclesial communities may be safe places for everyone, especially children, adolescents, and the most vulnerable people.

Pope Leo stressed to them his wish that "all spaces in the Church, whether physical or virtual, may truly be places for a fruitful encounter with Jesus Christ, free from fears, suspicions, or distrust.”

The need for safe spaces

“Thank you for being here and for carrying out this very important task.”

The Holy Father invited them to consider how the first disciples, from the moment they encountered Jesus Christ, were captivated—a moment that marked their lives and led them to begin a path of conversion, to the point of giving themselves to Him without reserve.

That experience, he observed, is not something of the past, for all people are called to encounter the Risen Lord and have a true experience of love with the Lord.

But to achieve this, Pope Leo underscored, “it is necessary that we have safe spaces.”

Abuse, the Pope decried, causes immense trauma and disrupts a person’s spiritual and human development.

Jesus called for the protection of the little ones

It is with the Lord’s own warning, the Pope said, that the Center founded its mission, “responding to Christ’s call when He warns about the need to take care not to become a cause of scandal for the little ones (cf. Mt 18:6).”

The Holy Father recalled that during his Apostolic Journey to Spain last week, he spoke to the Bishops about the pain of those who have been wounded by those who should have cared for them, calling them situations before which “the ecclesial community is called to respond with listening, truth, justice, reparation, and an ever more determined commitment to prevention and a culture of care.”

A mandate for the entire Church

“This task, although primarily the responsibility of those of us called to be pastors,” Pope Leo insisted, “is a mandate for everyone in the Church, and some, like you, have taken it on even in the professional sphere.”

Pope Leo thanked those present, and at the same time encouraged them “to continue forward with this great work, strengthening networks of collaboration between local Churches and civil institutions, promoting a culture of prevention and care for the most vulnerable.”

Finally, the Holy Father entrusted their efforts to the Blessed Mother so that they may continue working for this mission and so that, more and more, the entire ecclesial community may become involved in it, and he imparted his Apostolic Blessing.

Pope says church 'must move forward' if SSPX proceeds with illicit ordinations

Pope Leo XIV said that although he is considering a final appeal to the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X, the choice to splinter from the Catholic Church falls on them.

Speaking to journalists outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo June 16, the pope was asked about his feelings regarding plans by the traditionalist society, commonly known as SSPX, to proceed with the consecration of new bishops without a papal mandate.

The pope said that while he is "considering making another appeal to say: 'Do not do this, let us try to live in communion within the church,' " the decision to proceed "is their choice."

"Certainly, division among Christians is always a painful point. But they refuse to accept certain fundamental elements of the church, starting with several points from the Second Vatican Council," Leo said.

"If they make that choice, I am sorry, but we must move forward," he added.

In February, Fr. Davide Pagliarani, superior general of the SSPX, announced the society would proceed with the consecration of new bishops July 1, following a breakdown in communication with the Vatican after requests for an audience with Leo went unanswered.

After announcing their intention to proceed with the consecrations, Pagliarani was invited to meet with Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, who offered to continue dialogue with the SSPX, but only if the society suspended its decision to consecrate new bishops.

After meeting with SSPX council members, Pagliarani sent a letter to the cardinal saying that while he welcomed continued dialogue, he could not accept the conditions, noting that the society and the Holy See remained divided over the Vatican II and post-conciliar reforms.

In a May 13 statement, Fernández said that without the "requisite pontifical mandate," the consecrations would be considered "a schismatic act" and that "formal adherence to the schism constitutes a grave offense against God and entails the excommunication established under Church law."

Church of England apologises for role in forced adoptions

The Church of England has told birth mothers and children affected by historical forced adoptions that it is "profoundly sorry" for its role in the practice.

It follows the government confirming on Wednesday that it will make a full apology on behalf of the state over the practice, which saw thousands of mothers pressured into giving up babies for adoption because they were unmarried.

Between 1949 and 1976, the Church of England helped run, or was responsible for, about 100 mother and baby homes where women were sent to give birth.

In a formal apology, the Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullaly said victims experienced "pain and trauma and suffering and fear when you should have received care and compassion".

She added: "You have nothing to be ashamed of. The shame is ours and we're profoundly sorry."

Under the practice, unmarried pregnant women would be sent to mother and baby homes, in effect, to hide them from society.

The apology comes after two years of research by the Church into its archives and other records. It also spoke to birth mothers and adoptees.

A new report published by the Church found that documents from 1970 offered an insight into attitudes at the time, with staff describing the homes as places "from which the adoption agencies get their raw material".

The report also found that some mothers were described as "dim, feckless [and] inadequate" and the Church was aware that the quality of the homes "did not always meet acceptable standards".

Women who were sent to the mother and baby homes have spoken of the terrible conditions they were subjected to.

The Church's apology recognises that many of them were given menial and manual tasks as a form of punishment, even though they were heavily pregnant.

Dame Sarah said the Church was "profoundly sorry for the pain, trauma and stigma experienced and also carried today" by those affected.

"That is not acceptable and we are sorry for that," she added.

The Adult Adoptee Movement, which represents children forcibly removed from mothers during the era, described the statement as "not a meaningful apology".

"There is no admission of wrongdoing in this statement. No recognition of the specific harms," it added.

Not all the birth mothers subjected to forced adoptions went through a Church of England mother and baby home. Others were run by different Church and welfare groups.

In 2016, the Catholic Church apologised to those caught up in what it called the "grief and pain" experienced by mothers who lost children to adoption whilst in the care of Catholic run homes and adoption agencies.

The government has said it accepts that the state had played a role in the practice.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said it would "very soon" make an apology to those affected in England, without specifying exactly when.

"The prime minister will have more to say on this shameful period in our history, reflecting the gravity of what has happened," she said.

The BBC first revealed in April that the Church of England was going to issue an apology.

It follows a separate series of BBC reports which led to the Scottish and Welsh governments to issue apologies to victims in their nations in 2023.

In her address, Dame Sarah said it was "shocking, absolutely shocking for women and babies to be separated with no consent".

She said the Church is now offering support services at the Parish level to those in need and has further resources available on its website.

Dame Sarah acknowledged that some birth mothers affected by the practice have since passed away, saying she has a "deep regret that this apology comes too late".