Tuesday's News & Ideas - 10/5/2021

French Church abuse: 216,000 children were victims of clergy
BBC: Some 216,000 children – mostly boys – have been sexually abused by clergy in the French Catholic Church since 1950, a damning new inquiry has found.
The Washington Post: Catholic clergy in France likely abused more than 200,000 minors, independent commission estimates*
CNN: More than 200,000 children sexually abused by French Catholic clergy, damning report finds

Francis Collins, the longest-serving head of NIH, is stepping down
NPR: Collins, a researcher-physician who speaks openly about his Christian faith, plus his love of motorcycles and playing the guitar, is a scientific superstar who has served longer than any other NIH director since the position became a presidentially appointed one in 1971.

Hillsong founder Brian Houston to plead not guilty to concealing sexual abuse charge
The Guardian: The Hillsong founder Brian Houston will plead not guilty to charges alleging he concealed child sexual abuse by his late father in the 1970s.

‘COVID has been harder on us’: Some Black churches remain hesitant to reopen
Religion News Service: Black churches reflect a cautious approach on the part of ministers, reopening task forces and the average people currently not in the pews.

Pauli Murray – priest, lawyer, organizer – refused to be diminutive
Sojourners: What does a trailblazing Episcopal priest, a lawyer whose work helped to shape the Brown v. Board of Education case, a founding member of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and a close friend of Eleanor Roosevelt all have in common? They are all the same person.

The Spark

Facebook is weaker than we knew
A trove of leaked documents, published by The Wall Street Journal, hints* at a company whose best days are behind it, says The New York Times.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers