UN castigates Vatican over clerical sexual abuse of minors

Posted: Wed, 23 Jun 2021

UN special rapporteurs have criticised the Vatican over child sexual abuse in stronger terms than ever before. Read More »

French cardinal culpable over failure to disclose child sexual abuse

Posted: Fri, 05 Mar 2021

France's top court has confirmed that Philippe Barbarin, a former Catholic archbishop, is culpable for failing to report child abuse. Read More »

Irish mother and baby homes inflicted a “profound generational wrong”

Posted: Fri, 15 Jan 2021

A report has highlighted the Irish state's decades-long failure to protect vulnerable women and children at church-run institutions. Read More »

Catholic Church put its reputation first on child abuse, inquiry finds

Posted: Tue, 10 Nov 2020

The Catholic Church put its reputation before the interests of child abuse survivors, with senior leaders complicit, an inquiry has found. Read More »

Poland’s agreement with Vatican helps protect abusers, NSS tells UN

Posted: Fri, 04 Sep 2020

The NSS has raised concerns with the UN that a treaty between Poland and the Vatican undermines efforts to tackle child abuse. Read More »

NSS raises Italy’s response to child abuse in Catholic Church at UN

Posted: Thu, 12 Mar 2020

The NSS has urged the UN Human Rights Council to strengthen recommendations designed to tackle child abuse in Italy's Catholic Church. Read More »

Challenge to new Catholic school in Peterborough rejected

Posted: Thu, 13 Feb 2020

A challenge to a decision to open a new selective Catholic school has been rejected, despite strong backing from local residents. Read More »

Council set to approve discriminatory faith school in Peterborough

Posted: Fri, 17 Jan 2020

A new discriminatory Catholic primary school is expected to open in Peterborough after education officials recommended its approval. Read More »

NSS raises Vatican’s defiance of abuse inquiry with Foreign Office

Posted: Fri, 27 Sep 2019

The NSS has urged the government to hold the Vatican accountable over its continued failure to cooperate with a child abuse inquiry. Read More »

NSS urges UN to pressurise Vatican on overdue child rights reports

Posted: Wed, 18 Sep 2019

The NSS has urged a UN council to pressurise the Vatican to submit long-overdue reports outlining its response to child sexual abuse. Read More »

Former ‘pope in waiting’ jailed for child sexual abuse

Posted: Fri, 15 Mar 2019

The Vatican's ex-treasurer George Pell has been sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison for sexual activity with children in Australia. Read More »

Senior French Catholic cardinal convicted of covering up abuse

Posted: Fri, 08 Mar 2019

The most senior Catholic official in France, the archbishop of Lyon Philippe Barbarin, has been convicted of covering up sexual abuse. Read More »

NSS: government must push Vatican to cooperate with abuse inquiry

Posted: Tue, 05 Feb 2019

The NSS has urged the prime minister to raise the Catholic Church's failure to cooperate with a child abuse inquiry with the Vatican. Read More »

Abuse survivors sue Catholic order which ran children’s homes

Posted: Fri, 19 Oct 2018

Ten people are suing a religious order which ran two Scottish orphanages where many children were physically and sexually abused. Read More »

Scottish Catholic schools to marginalise children who don’t pray

Posted: Mon, 24 Sep 2018

The NSS has criticised a plan to exclude children from nativity plays and fundraising if they are withdrawn from prayers. Read More »

Catholic Church covered up abuse of 1,000 children in Pennsylvania

Posted: Wed, 15 Aug 2018

Pennsylvania's Catholic Church leaders covered up the abuse of over 1,000 children by more than 300 priests, a major report has said. Read More »

NSS urges Irish PM to force pope to pay abuse compensation debt

Posted: Thu, 19 Jul 2018

The National Secular Society has urged the Irish PM to force the Catholic Church to pay a €7 million shortfall in compensation owed to survivors of clerical child abuse. Read More »

Spanish PM’s secularist outlook prompts Catholic fears over privileges

Posted: Thu, 14 Jun 2018

Spain's new prime minister has prompted concern from religious groups over his support for secularism. Read More »

Scottish government ‘committed to Catholic education tradition’

Posted: Mon, 21 May 2018

The NSS has criticised the Scottish government after a minister assured headteachers it was committed to providing Catholic education. Read More »

Labour MPs look at applying Catholic social teaching to public policy

Posted: Tue, 26 Sep 2017

Eight MPs have launched a group calling on their party to "explore and supply" the application of Catholic social teaching to public policy. Read More »