Sexual abuse scandal in the Society of Jesus

Internal church records released in 2013 indicate that the Jesuits of the Archdiocese of Chicago willfully concealed sex crimes committed by Jesuit priest Donald McGuire for more than four decades. A letter written in 1970 by John Reinke, the president of Loyola Academy where McGuire worked, admitted that McGuire's presence at Loyola was "positively destructive and corrosive," but suggested transferring him to Loyola University instead of sending him to treatment or turning him over to the legal system.[1] McGuire was finally tried for his crimes and found guilty of molesting two teenage students in Wisconsin in 2006.[2] McGuire was sentenced to seven years in prison for this, and was later tried and found guilty for another act of abuse in 2009. This time, he was sentenced to 25 years, making it likely that he would die in prison.[3] McGuire later died in a federal prison in 2017.[4]

Robert Goldberg, one of McGuire's victims who was instrumental in his conviction,[4] filed a lawsuit against both the Midwest Jesuit Province and the main Society of Jesus office in Rome in 2019.[4]

In February 2008, the diocese of Fairbanks announced plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, claiming inability to pay the 140 plaintiffs who filed claims against the diocese for alleged sexual abuse by priests or church workers dating from the 1950s to the early 1980s. The Society of Jesus, Oregon Province, was named as a co-defendant in the case, and settled for $50 million.[5] The Diocese, which reports an operating budget of approximately $6 million, claims one of the diocese's insurance carriers failed to "participate meaningfully".[6][7][8][9]

The lawsuits in the Fairbanks diocese have also affected the Jesuit community in the diocese of Portland, given that the Western Province of the American Jesuits is located in the State of Oregon.[10][11] In February 2009, the Province of Oregon became the first Jesuit order to file for bankruptcy.[12] In March 2011, the Oregon Jesuit Province agreed to pay nearly 500 victims of sex abuse $166.1 million[13] As party of the bankruptcy agreement, the Oregon Jesuit Province also disclosed the list of Jesuit clergy who were accused of committing sex abuse.[14]

In 2002, criminal charges were brought against five Roman Catholic priests in the Boston area of the United States, John Geoghan, Paul Desilets,[15] Paul Shanley, Robert V. Gale and Jesuit priest James Talbot, which ultimately resulted in the conviction and sentencing of each to prison.[16]

In 1985, Jesuit priest Norman J. Rogge plead guilty to sexually abusing a boy in 1984 and received a one-year prison sentence.[17] He previously plead guilty to another charge of sex abuse against a minor in 1967 and received a sentence of three years probation and forced psychiatric therapy[17]

By 2019, sex abuse lawsuits which were filed against at least two former Jesuits who were accused of committing sex abuse at Jesuit high schools were settled.[17]

In 1998, nine male alumni claimed that they had been molested while attending the Jesuit school Cheverus. Two former faculty members, Jesuit priest and teacher James Talbot and teacher and coach Charles Malia,[18] were accused. The school, located in Portland, Maine, confirmed the abuse and apologized to the victims. The victims also accused both Cheverus High School and the Portland Diocese of hiding information, and that they had previously known about the abuse. Settlements to victims have reached a cumulative seven figures, with ongoing counseling additional. Talbot, who was the former chair of the English Department, and Malia, the former head of the Track Team, have admitted they are guilty. Both teachers lost their jobs at Cheverus in 1998.[18] Before public accusations surfaced that he committed sex abuse at Boston College High School, James Talbot had been accused of molesting a student at Cheverus. [19] On September 24, 2018, Talbot pled guilty to the sex abuse charges in Maine and immediately began serving two concurrent three-year prison sentences.[20][21]

On January 15, 2018, the USA Northeast Province of the Society of Jesus released a list Tuesday of 50 priests under its jurisdiction who have been "credibly accused" of sexual misconduct with minors[22] The list includes priests who served in Jesuit high schools and colleges throughout New England, New York and northern New Jersey.[22] However, the list only includes ordained Jesuits and does not include some accused people who were affiliated with the Jesuits.[22] Seven on the list taught at Cheverus High School in Portland, Maine.[22] All but 15 of the Roman Catholic priests on the list are dead, and all of the alleged abuse took place before 1997.[22]

On December 7, 2018, the USA Central and Southern Province of the Society of Jesus released a list of 42 priests under its jurisdiction who had allegations of sex abuse.[23][24][25] The list also includes those from predecessor organizations such as the New Orleans Province, the Missouri Province, and the Independent Region of Puerto Rico of the Society of Jesus.[23][24][25] Those with credible allegations are either deceased or no longer in active ministry,[23][24] while 4 who had less credible allegations are still active in the province.[23][24]

On December 7, 2018, the USA West Province released a list of Jesuit clergy who were accused of committing sex abuse while working for areas in the province.[14] Reports of abuse are dated as early as 1950,[14] While the Province of the present-day was formed in 2017.[14] the list includes reported abuse in the former California and the former Oregon Provinces, against whom a credible claim of sexual abuse of a minor (under the age of 18) or a vulnerable adult has been made.[14] The former Oregon Province was also required to release the list of accused clergy as party of its bankruptcy settlement.[14]

On December 17, 2018, the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus released a list of Jesuits who had accused of molesting children while working for areas in the province.[26] Listed reports of abuse go as early as 1955.[27] The present-day Province was formed in 2017 as a merger between the Chicago, Chicago-Detroit, Detroit, and Wisconsin provinces.[26]

On December 17, 2018, The USA Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus released the names of Jesuits who had accused of molesting children while working for the Province.[28][29][30][31] The list goes as far back as 1950 at earliest.[32] The Province stretches from the state of Georgia to the areas just below the state of New York .[33]

In 2004 and 2005 two former students of the school told the headmaster of this Jesuit school that they had been sexually abused by two of their former teachers. In December 2009 and January 2010 two other boys contacted the headmaster and claimed the same about the same teachers. The headmaster decided to write a letter to all former students in which he stated that he was deeply sorry for what happened. After receiving the letter several others of the former students contacted the headmaster and said that they too had been abused. In January 2010, the headmaster wrote a personal letter of apology to all pupils at the school.[34]

The names of the former students claiming to be sexually abused have been withheld from the public, but the public was told that many of them were notable scientists or held political or economic positions of power. It was also revealed that some of the alumni who had been abused decided to send their children to the Canisius-Kolleg.[35] One of the teachers has spoken out and said the allegations made against him were true, because he really had abused boys. The teachers might not be sued for what they did, because it seems that in most cases the statute of limitations has passed, but the abused boys wanted them to apologize.[36] Apologies and financial compensations were issued to the victims.[37]

An investigative report detailing allegations of substantial abuse was released in 2010.[38]

In 2010, Padre Wolfgang S. admitted to several acts of sexual abuse of minors during his years as a teacher in Sankt Blasius from 1982 to 1984. Prior to that he had taught in another Jesuit college in Berlin (Canisius-Kolleg) where he had also molested children. The order in 2010 concedes that upon discovery, his superiors did provide help for him to emigrate to South America. Other cases of sexual abuse of minors in the Jesuit order have also been reported lately and are being investigated. As of February 2010, it seems that all cases have become time-barred.[39]

Rev. Stefan Dartmann disclosed that the same abusive teacher in Germany had been guilty of similar crimes in Jesuit schools in Chile and Spain.[40]

In August 2019, revelations surfaced that Jesuit Father Renato Poblete, who died in 2010, had sexually abused 18 adult women and four underage female minors.[41] He also impregnated at least one of these women and forced her to have an abortion.[41] One of the minors he abused was only three years old and a daughter of one of his adult victims as well.[41]