INTERVIEW – RAYMOND ARROYO —   news director and lead anchor of EWTN News, New York Times Best Selling author  — shared his thoughts on the church’s handling of the sex abuse scandal.

• POPE LETTER YESTERDAY: Pope: No effort spared to fight abuse, but offers no details. VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis vowed Monday that “no effort must be spared” to root out priestly sex abuse and cover-up from the Catholic Church, but gave no indication that he would take action to sanction complicit bishops or end the Vatican culture of secrecy that has allowed the crisis to fester. In a letter to Catholics worldwide following damning new revelations of misconduct in the S., Francis sought to project a get-tough response to the perpetrators and a compassionate shoulder for victims ahead of a fraught trip to Ireland this weekend. Francis begged forgiveness for the pain suffered by victims and said lay Catholics must be included in the effort to root out abuse and cover-up. He blasted the clerical culture that has been blamed for the crisis, with church leaders more concerned about their own reputations than the safety of children. “We showed no care for the little ones,” Francis wrote. “We abandoned them.” But Francis alone can sanction bishops and he offered no hint that he would change the Vatican’s longstanding practice of giving religious superiors a pass when they botch abuse cases or are negligent in protecting their flocks.
• COSTLY SETTLEMENTS: Clergy sex abuse has cost Catholic Church $3 billion in settlements (Fox News) — Clergy sex abuse of children has rocked the Catholic Church not only in terms of trust and reputation, but also financially, to the tune of more than $3 billion, according to National Public Radio. The multibillion-dollar expense has gone to settlements in response to lawsuits filed by people abused by clergy, reports NPR. Nearly 20 Catholic dioceses and religious orders have filed for bankruptcy because of the scandals.
• CARDINAL WUERL IN HOT WATER: >> Pa. high school named for Cardinal Wuerl defaced with red paint (WTOP) WASHINGTON — A Pittsburgh-area high school named for Cardinal Donald Wuerl has been vandalized days after the release of a bombshell grand jury report that faulted Wuerl’s handling of priests who sexually abused children. Wuerl is now the archibishop of Washington. A school employee at Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School reported the vandalism to the school’s sign shortly after 7 a.m. Monday, Sgt. Chuck Mascellino, with the Cranberry Township Police Department, said. Wuerl’s name on the sign appeared to be crossed out with red paint. Nearly 5,000 people have petitioned to remove his name from North Catholic High School.
• Cardinal Donald Wuerl withdraws as keynote speaker for event in Ireland. Cardinal Donald Wuerl has withdrawn from the World Meeting of Families in Dublin, according to the Irish Times. Wuerl was set to be the keynote speaker. Wuerl’s name appeared more than 200 times in the grand jury report released last Tuesday, accusing him of covering up sexual abuse of children by clergy while serving as Pittsburgh’s bishops.