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COMMENTARY
What Are Bishops Afraid Of?
The Denver, Colorado diocese has argued successfully
against a bill that would have lifted the civil statute
of limitations on child sexual abuse; the reasoning
challenged the immunities left in place for public
institutions where abuse also occurs, while penalizing
a religious institution for the same abuse. National
Catholic Reporter says that Chaput’s point
is well taken but the bishop is missing a more vital
point. “In one sense good stewardship would
demand a leader try to protect the church’s
holdings for future generations. At the same time
it is essential to keep in mind that church leaders
are the ones who initially abandoned their pastoral
instincts and started down the legal path. It is
also important to keep in mind that putting the church
on an equal footing with public schools in the legal
arena, while an admirable strategy, does little to
address the larger ethical and moral issues within
the Catholic community.” Subscribers can access
the June 2 editorial
here Legislation in other states (Ohio, for one)
was weakened by concerted lobbying on behalf of the
Church’s interests. Coupled with the America magazine
essay purporting “selective justice for Catholic
institutions,” many Catholics are seeing a
campaign in the works. VOTF is preparing a white
paper on this subject to be published in an upcoming
issue.
Carolyn Disco, VOTF NH, made the following comment,
excerpted from her response to the America article:
“Media focus and anti-Catholicism: Anti-Catholicism is
often the unthinking, knee-jerk, and flawed, response
when Church officials encounter stern criticism. Mr.
Nussbaum tallies the number of press articles the scandal
generated as proof of its presence in media coverage.
At that same law school conference, Walter Robinson,
the head of the Boston Globe’s Spotlight
investigative team, said the coverage was “document–driven,” By
the mere release of 10,000 documents in the Geoghan case;
11,000 in the Shanley case; 9,000 made public by the
New Hampshire Attorney General; and by now maybe 30,000
documents on the www.bishop-accountability.org website,
it is not surprising that the media found gripping stories
to tell. Several scathing grand jury reports with their
accompanying documents added grist for the story mill.
The Philadelphia Grand Jury’s report was strongly
attacked by Church officials as biased, but that charge
did not gain much traction as people simply saw for themselves
the depth of the hierarchy’s negligence and complicity.
You cannot fail when you supply detailed facts, and the
facts spoke powerfully. The Church achieved notoriety
by dutifully earning it.
Trust: The bottom line goal is mutual trust, in very
short supply right now. Articles by Mr. Nussbaum and
others that reflect a defensive and adversarial stance
toward survivors deplete whatever goodwill may have been
growing. Bishops cannot earn the laity’s trust
with such attacks by their paid legal counsel. When we
see bishops who speak truth from the heart, who become
shepherds first, then and only then is a new day possible.”
- While outdated at present, it is worth watching the
State-by-State Survey of Statutes of Limitations Applicable
to Civil Claims of Childhood Sexual Abuse, learn
more.
- America magazine’s May 15 article
by L. Martin Nussbaum (see May
18 Vineyard) “Changing the Rules – Selective
Justice for Catholic institutions” continues
to draw constructive criticism. Carolyn Disco (VOTF
NH) sends this
link: for the Religious Institutions Group Nussbaum’s
law firm set up and an internet
archive for church lawyers et al; also note a VOTF
member/canon lawyer’s comment in Letters to the
editor.
• DenverPost.com notes that the Denver archdiocese “offered financial
settlements to any of the 30 alleged sexual-abuse victims who voluntarily participate
in an independent mediation process during the next five months.”
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