What Bishop Gumbleton's Public Statement Means to VOTF
By Jim Post

I cannot overstate my view of the importance of Bishop Thomas Gumbleton's January 11, 2006 public statement in support of legislation in Ohio that would create a "window" of opportunity for victims of sexual abuse to bring civil lawsuits. The Bishop did three important things in making his statement.

First, he defined the problem and the windows legislation as having "national" importance. Neither the underlying problem, nor the proposed course of action, is a matter for Ohio legislators and citizens alone. Bishop Gumbleton’s words made clear that the eyes of the nation are focused on Columbus, Ohio's state capital, and the legislators who are debating the windows proposal.

Second, he offered his "expert" opinion that a window would serve an important public purpose. Many victims of abuse live with that fact for decades before being able to publicly state their claim. The window would help assure every victim that they would have a day in court. It would not guarantee a win, but it would guarantee an opportunity to make their case. As a bishop, Tom Gumbleton stands alone in this view, apart from every other bishop in the United States.

Third, Bishop Gumbleton offered his personal credibility to this testimony by publicly stating for the first time that he was sexually abused by a priest many years ago. He did not apologize for his silence. He simply said that on January 11, 2006, he chose to speak.

We cannot fully understand the personal torment -- or the calling -- that each survivor of abuse bears as he or she considers whether, or when, to publicly describe their experience. We can only try to understand that for Bishop Gumbleton, as for so many others, there came a time --"the hour"-- when they were called to tell the world of their experience, and thereby bear a very public cross.

We -- the legislators in Ohio, the pew Catholics in Cleveland, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Boston and a thousand other communities in this country, and the ordained priests, deacons and bishops of the Catholic Church -- must realize that no one is immune from sexual abuse in our Church. There is a profound human story within each victim and it must be understood and respected. We are called to listen to these stories and to bear witness to the hurt and the pain they reveal.

The path to healing and reconciliation in the Catholic Church continues to be tortuous and excruciatingly painful. Without our efforts to help others along the way, the scourge of this evil will not end. Since 2002, much has been done to support survivors as they came forward to speak the truth. But we must never forget that survivors will always bear the heaviest burden because they must expose their emotional being to all of us. Every psychological defense and buffer must be removed in order to say, "I was abused." The man or woman who speaks these words stands vulnerable before the world, unsure about how the world will respond. When the hour finally arrived, Tom Gumbleton, too, stood vulnerable before the world.

That is what Bishop Thomas Gumbleton's statement in Columbus, Ohio means to us.

• Read Bishop Gumbleton's testimony before the Ohio House of Representatives Judiciary Committee
• 01/11/06 - Bishop Gumbleton’s Revelation Underscores Need for Statute of Limitations Reform for Sexual Abuse Victims - Read VOTF Press Release