Professor of Economics at Villanova University
Expert on church finances, and author of Why Catholics Don’t Give…and What Can Be Done About It and Professor of Economics at Villanova University, a Catholic university in Pennsylvania
PROFILE
Chuck Zech
Guest
FROM Chuck Zech
Which Way, L.A.?
LA Archdiocese Settles Sex Abuse Case LA’s Roman Catholic Archdiocese , insurance companies and the orders of priests who engaged in sex abuse will pay 660 million dollars to settle fifteen suits brought by 508 plaintiffs. This weekend’s settlement was approved today by Superior Court Judge Haley J. Fromholz. After apologizing publicly to the victims yesterday, Cardinal Roger Mahoney sat quietly in the courtroom. Plaintiffs’ attorney Ray Boucher told the court the settlement provides “transparency and sunshine” and assures “victims they did nothing wrong—it was not their fault.
Which Way, L.A.?
Cardinal Roger Mahony and Sex Abuse by Priests Last week, Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony announced the settlement of 45 cases of child-sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests worth a total of $60 million. As many as 500 cases are still unsettled, and some of those victims aren't happy about the precedent that's been set. In Boston, many molestation cases went to trial, and personal documents from within the church were made public, revealing such ugly details that Cardinal Bernard Law was reassigned to the Vatican. In Los Angeles, the process used was private mediation rather than public trial. A retired judge will decide what records ultimately will be unsealed, but advocates say many victims will never know what really happened or how the Church allowed known molesters to be reassigned to positions where they could commit new crimes. We hear from Cardinal Mahony and others.
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Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.
To the Point
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.