Daily Links, July 24: Let’s talk about sex abuse

Stories on sexual abuse are dominating the headlines today, with news on the church's abuse crisis and fallout from yesterday's Penn State ruling.

The big story today is the sentencing of Msgr. William Lynn in Philadelphia to three to six years in prison for his role in covering up abuse in the Philly archdiocese and failing to protect children from known abusers. Former priest James Brennan, who was tried alongside Msgr. Lynn for attempted rape of a 14-year-old boy, will be put on trial again after the original jury was deadlocked on charges against him.

At CNN, Stephen Prothero compares the NCAA's handling of the Penn State case to the Catholic Church's response to abuse by priests. Our own Liz Lefebvre does the same, asking whether the church will learn from the NCAA's response.

Father Peter Day, an Australian priest, is calling for an open, honest conversation about sex abuse in the church on a worldwide scale.

And in the UK, there is a legal battle between a diocese and the Christian Brothers over who should be responsible in paying compensation to 170 victims of sexual abuse at a children's home.

In other, non-abuse news:

Do you remember the hospital in Phoenix that was deemed no longer Catholic after performing an emergency procedure that terminated a patient's pregnancy? Well, Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmsted wants you to know that hospital is still not Catholic.

In Minnesota, Father Larry Blake is yet another example of a Roman Catholic priest who is married with children. He is a former Lutheran pastor, unlike the married former Episcopal priests featured in our August cover story.

Austria is turning to billboards to help recruit more priests.

Labor unions may play a key role in the presidential election, according to the Christian Science Monitor.

And in New York, people are still up in arms about the proposed ban on super-sized sodas. Columnist Kevin Clarke offers an alternative solution to America's obesity issues in this month's Margin Notes.

About the author

Scott Alessi

Scott Alessi is a former managing editor of U.S. Catholic.