Jesuit leaders did nothing to stop a priest from sexually abusing children. The church may canonize one

<p>The prominent religious order postponed the ordination of Donald B Dickerson, but ultimately allowed his promotion</p><ul><li><p>A version of this story was first reported and published by <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/arrupes-role-murky-dispute-over-ordination-abusive-jesuit">National Catholic Reporter</a></p></li></ul><p>Numerous officials within the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/catholicism">Roman Catholic</a> religious order known as the Jesuits struggled in the 1970s and 1980s over how to deal with a man whom they knew molested children – but nonetheless was ordained a priest, according to a review of internal correspondence concerning his career.</p><p>The correspondence about the late Donald B Dickerson stems from a pending Louisiana state court lawsuit filed in June 2024 that alleges he raped a 17-year-old student at the order-run Loyola University New Orleans in 1984. It provides a rare, complex, behind-the-scenes look at how local leaders during a much earlier phase of the worldwide Catholic church’s ongoing clergy molestation scandal struggled to contain a predator priest’s repeated abuse of children while encouraging him to seek psychological help.</p><p><em>National Catholic Reporter is a national US news outlet that has been reporting on issues within the Catholic church since 1964</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/24/jesuits-new-orleans-clergy-abuse">Continue reading...</a>