Favourites jostle in multi-million dollar papal betting market
Gambling on the next pope was all the rage in Rome back in the 1500s, scandalising the deeply religious city, according to a University of Nevada research paper on the topic.
A Roman saddle-maker admitted making more than five times his money by successfully picking Cardinal Castagna to head the Catholic Church in 1590. And his subsequent trial revealed swathes of the city were indeed gambling on the papal election.
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ABC News
5 hours ago
- ABC News
ACT Greens announce bill that would make institutions vicariously liable for sexual abuse by employees
The ACT Greens have unveiled a bill aimed at making institutions such as the Catholic Church, Scouts and sporting groups vicariously liable for the actions of those associated with them who have sexually abused children. This includes priests, Scouts leaders, and sports coaches who may have a relationship with the organisation akin to employment, even though it is not strictly an employment relationship. The move was prompted by a High Court ruling last year that found a priest, accused of child sex offences, was not an employee of the church, so the institution could not be held vicariously liable for his actions because that only applies in employment relationships. "I am deeply concerned that we are now seeing a situation where institutions that have had people abused in their care are now able to avoid responsibility because of this apparent lack of connection where people who were priests, coaches other roles, as part of these institutions, are now not seen to be covered by that organisation," Greens leader Shane Rattenbury said. The High Court case involved a man who was allegedly sexually abused by the family priest in 1971, during pastoral visits to his family home. The man was only five at the time. The priest was Father Bryan Coffey, who was convicted of offences against other children in the 1990s and has since died. The High Court ruling was a bitter blow for the alleged victim, who had won two Victorian court cases, which found the church was vicariously liable for the damage caused to him. In both rulings it was found Father Coffey was not an employee of the church but had a special place within the hierarchy of the church, which gave rise to vicarious liability. The High Court found that simply wasn't the case, and only an employment relationship matters. "My observation of having read the material from the High Court is that they were looking at the broader picture of vicarious liability, and its broad status in the law, as opposed to the specific matters of child sexual abuse," Mr Rattenbury said. "So the High Court was thinking much more about a range of corporate matters and the like rather than the specifics." Mr Rattenbury said his proposed law would target child sex abuse. Lawyer Alessandra Pettit, who was involved in the launch of today's draft law, says the real problem is for the victims. "We spent $370 million on a royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse and whilst a lot of the recommendations have been helpful, it seems to be a bit of a pendulum in this area that it keeps swinging each way," Ms Pettit said. "I am really really concerned about the effect of this on my clients. "You are dealing with a cohort of people who have already been abused as children by someone in a position of power. "To stand up in court is not an easy thing for anyone and then to have technical legal arguments take that away is really really difficult." Mr Rattenbury said the Council of Attorneys General was looking at the issue, but it was something that had to be addressed more locally. "This will not be a national response, it is one that will sit with states and territories," Mr Rattenbury said. "So my view is to move forward. "And the ACT can act as a template and a guide for other jurisdictions." Mr Rattenbury said he was hoping his private members bill would get some traction in the Assembly. "This bill is about ensuring victims have access to justice for the crimes committed against them as children and it's about ensuring institutions make amends for the harm caused by their institutions and the people participated and took significant roles in those institutions," Mr Rattenbury said. The bill will be presented later in the month.
ABC News
02-06-2025
- ABC News
Three accused of stealing sculpture from Catholic Sacred Heart Cathedral in Bendigo
An elderly man and two youths have allegedly stolen a 100-kilogram sculpture that caused outrage in a regional Victorian church community. At nearly 2 metres tall, the statue named Transcendence was carved from a century-old pine tree, and depicts a naked man and woman. It was part of a temporary art installation inside the Catholic Sacred Heart Cathedral in Central Bendigo. Victoria Police alleged the statue was stolen on Saturday, and said there were three suspects. "The offenders used a trolley to wheel a large sculpture out of the property," a police statement said. "A witness followed the males and observed them load the sculpture into a white van. On Monday morning, the sculpture was found dumped and damaged — without its veil — at St Killian's Church, a short distance from the cathedral. The statue's presence reportedly upset some parishioners, who objected to what the Sandhurst Diocese described as an "occult element" in the artwork's inspiration. Bishop Shane McKinley of Sandhurst said the reference was never made inside the church, but on the artists website, and had since been removed. "This possibility is something that we take extremely seriously," he said. Artist Ben Wrigley said he could not quite fathom the reaction to Transcendence, a work he described as the "transcendence of being bound by the dense material world". "I feel for them," he said. "Being upset, being angry, to the point where one will cross the boundary of one's faith, that's a very strong emotion." Transcendence is one of five sculptures on display across Bendigo, all carved from the same 100-year-old pine tree. The Catholic Sandhurst Diocese was unavailable for comment. Wrigley said he was relieved the artwork had been found. "I'm relieved, I can rectify it, no problem," Wrigley said. Police urged anyone with information about the alleged theft to contact Crime Stoppers.
Sky News AU
29-05-2025
- Sky News AU
'Very sad': Fire tears through the late Princess Diana's historic family estate in suspected arson attack
A suspected act of vandalism has left Earl Charles Spencer "stunned" after a farmhouse on the historic Althorp Estate, Princess Diana's childhood home and final resting place, was destroyed in a late-night blaze. The 61-year-old author and younger brother of the late Princess took to social media on Wednesday to reveal the fire broke out at about 1.30am, engulfing a remote farmhouse on the Northamptonshire property. "Stunned to learn that one of @AlthorpHouse's farmhouses- fortunately, unoccupied at the time- was apparently burnt down by vandals last night," Spencer wrote on X. "With thanks to @northantsfire for doing their very best. So very sad that anyone would think this a fun thing to do." Just hours earlier, Spencer had hosted a barbecue for the Northamptonshire Steelbacks cricket team on the estate, which has been in the Spencer family since 1508. "Last night, we were delighted to host @northantsccc for a relaxed dinner with their players, coaches, girlfriends and wives," the official Althorp House Instagram account shared. "The Spencer family has proudly supported the club for the last 120 years, with @ serving as Patron." It is unclear when the event concluded, but firefighters were called shortly after midnight to respond to the fire, which had broken out in the two-storey farmhouse located roughly eight kilometres from the grade I-listed main house. "At the height of the fire, four crews from across the service wearing breathing apparatus used hose-reel jets to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading further," Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue said in a statement. "One crew remained on the scene into this afternoon with a water bowser to continue dampening down any remaining hotspots, and then returned to their station shortly before 1pm." While police have not officially declared the fire a criminal offence, they told the BBC the incident could be upgraded if evidence supports it being deliberately lit. But Althorp's head gamekeeper, Adey Greeno, who has worked on the estate for over three decades, was unequivocal in his belief that the fire was started intentionally. "The farmhouse that we lost to a deliberate act of vandalism last night has now had to be razed to the ground for safety reasons," he posted on X. "So sad. The world we live in." The Althorp Estate is not only steeped in centuries of aristocratic history, but is also the childhood home of Princess Diana, and the place where she was laid to rest following her tragic death in 1997. The 13,000-acre estate is open to the public during the summer months and in recent years has become a site of major archaeological interest. In May 2023, Earl Spencer announced he had been excavating the remains of a Roman villa believed to date back to around 100 AD. He was joined on the dig by Norwegian archaeologist Professor Cat Jarman, who would later become his girlfriend. The following year, the father-of-seven confirmed his separation from his third wife, Countess Karen Spencer, after 13 years of marriage. It is understood that the breakdown coincided with the writing of his memoir, A Very Private School, which explores the trauma he experienced during his boarding school years. Countess Spencer, who has an 11-year-old daughter named Charlotte Diana with the Earl, announced her departure from Althorp House in February. "Well…at long last, three weeks ago, we finally moved into our temporary new home," the 52-year-old Canadian entrepreneur shared on social media. "...This new chapter is already taking shape."
