While the Church is weathering the storm of scandals and reformist initiatives, the faithful are also weathering storms of their own. They must confront their own shaken confidence. They must respond to those inside the Church who want to change Church teaching. They must respond to those outside the Church who do not understand Catholic governing structures.
The TFP’s work seeks to help the faithful navigate in these troubled waters, reminding them that God permits these storms so that they might be strengthened.
Amid the storm, the Church will prevail. Did not Our Lord reassure the Apostles during the storm: “Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith?”
While many states extended their criminal and civil statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse during these four years of intensive media reporting on the scandals inside the Church, some states are looking at lifting them retroactively. Such measures would allow government to investigate decades-old cases and hold today’s 67 million Catholics … Read more
The Innocent Suffer and the Guilty Go Free? In state legislatures across the nation, a mania is spreading to introduce bills to lift or extend retroactively statutes of limitations related to sexual abuse. The bills will permit thousands of civil tort lawsuits to be brought not against offending priests, religious or bishops … Read more
In 2003 the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property—TFP helped to voice the Catholic outcry across the nation against legislative bills in several states that would oblige a priest to break the Seal of Confession. Many Catholic cardinals, bishops and priests affirmed they would go to jail rather … Read more
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“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned…” These opening words of confession to a priest constitute a sublime act of humility that marks the lives of so many Catholics. However, that act of trust and healing is threatened by a third party, the State, which may soon have the right to listen. … Read more
A New Religious Persecution? Is It Fair That the Innocent Pay for the Guilty? An Additional 70 Million Victims of the Sexual Abuse Scandals on the Horizon State legislatures across the nation are now being pressured to lift or extend retroactively their civil statutes of limitations related to sexual abuse. … Read more
“Amid the storms through which She passes today, She [the Church] could proudly and tranquilly say: ‘Alios ego vidi ventos; alias prospexi animo procellas’ (‘I have already seen other winds, I have weathered other storms’). The Church has fought in other lands, against adversaries from among other peoples, and she will undoubted … Read more
If anyone should know about the sexual abuse scandals, it is Prof. Patrick Schiltz. While in private practice from 1987-1995, he represented various churches in hundreds of clergy abuse cases. He now holds the St. Thomas More Chair in Law at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis and is still a … Read more
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The TFP Alerts: Don’t Make the Church a Victim No one denies the reality of the sexual abuse scandals and their cover-up. Catholics rightfully reacted with indignation and concern. However, many reformers and dissidents now propose solutions that take advantage of this legitimate indignation and toil feverishly to shake the very … Read more
The Church: The Scandals’ Unmentioned Victim TFP Analysis of the May 3, 2003 Agreement between Bishop Thomas J. O’Brien (and the Phoenix Diocese) and Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley The sexual abuse scandals, reported with an unnecessary abundance of lewd details, continue to fuel the media blitz against the Church … Read more
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They call it the next litigation gold rush on the horizon and it will be big business. The issue will be any child sexual abuse and the possibilities appear endless. For now, the target is the Catholic Church which has already poured out $1 billion in damages. Many see that figure cresting … Read more