The ongoing canonical trial of Guam Archbishop Anthony Apuron is significant in that it’s only the second time in centuries a bishop has been put on trial by the church, said Thomas Doyle, a Catholic priest and former board member of the Canon Law Society of America.

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There have been 95 cases filed in federal and local court on Guam, accusing priests and others associated with the church of child sexual abuse, including several cases which allege some children reported the abuse to other church officials who didn't help them.

If the accusations are true, Guam’s last three bishops and archbishops, including Apuron, sexually abused children or knew about clergy sexual abuse on island and did nothing to stop it.

Apuron was temporarily removed from his position in the local church in June 2016 following abuse allegations lodged against him by three former Agat altar boys and the mother of a deceased altar boy. They have accused Apuron, who was a village priest in the late 1970s, of rape and molestation.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Thousands of Muslim worshippers surged into Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday and at least 113 were hurt in scuffles with police after Israel lifted security measures imposed at the sacred site in the face of days of violent protests.

Chaotic scenes unfolded as Israeli police used stun grenades to try to control crowds charging forward when the last gate Muslims use to enter Al-Aqsa was opened after a stand-off lasting several hours.

"We will sacrifice ourselves for Al-Aqsa!" chanted the throng outside Islam's third holiest shrine. Several young men clambered onto the mosque's roof to affix Palestinian flags, which Israeli police soon confiscated.

Israel's removal of the security devices, including metal detectors and CCTV cameras, marked a significant climbdown by right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While Palestinians celebrated, political opponents accused him of weakness.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Vatican treasurer Cardinal George Pell made a brief court appearance in his native Australia on Wednesday to face what police described as "historical sexual offences", making him the most senior Roman Catholic official to face such accusations.

Pell, 76, a top adviser to Pope Francis, did not speak as he was escorted to and from Melbourne Magistrates' Court by police through a large crowd of media, protesters and supporters. He was not required to enter a plea.

Australian police said last month Pell had been summoned to appear on charges of "historical sexual offences" from multiple complainants.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sent a thinly veiled message to Hillary Clinton, saying that “you blame yourself” if you “lose to somebody who has 40 percent popularity.” Schumer never explicitly mentioned Clinton but there was little doubt who he was talking about while discussing the broad effort by the Democratic Party to come up with a new messaging strategy ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

“When you lose to somebody who has 40 percent popularity, you don’t blame other things — Comey, Russia—you blame yourself,” Schumer said in an interview with the Washington Post. “So what did we do wrong? People didn’t know what we stood for, just that we were against Trump. And still believe that.” A recent poll found that 52 percent of Americans think the Democratic Party “just stands against Trump” while only 37 percent think it actually “stands for something.”

Clinton has taken responsibility for her loss, although she has also mentioned a variety of factors that contributed to the results in November, including the decision by then-FBI chief James Comey to reopen the investigation into her emails near the end of the campaign. She has also mentioned Russia’s well-reported efforts to affect the outcome of the election.

Schumer spoke to the Post ahead of the unveiling of the new Democratic Party economic platform on Monday that has been dubbed “A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future.”