NATIONAL NEWS
USCCB CHARTER Discussion in VOTF
All the bishops have received a "workbook" for revising
the Charter on Sexual Abuse. The workbook includes the
original charter in the first column, suggested edits
from the Ad Hoc Committee of Bishops in the second column,
and space in a third column for comments from the individual
bishops. The workbook has not been made public by the
bishops, but VOTF has received a copy (available on
the VOTF web site at www.votf.org) and a VOTF national
committee has responded with our recommendations (appearing
in the third column of the workbook).
If you cannot read the entire workbook, which is
93 pages long, the VOTF letter to Archbishop Harry Flynn
of Minneapolis provides a four-page executive summary
of the response and is well worth reading.
From VOTF vice-president Kris Ward:
Please consider calling upon your bishop to a) release
your diocese's audit in its entirety and b) release
the completed Workbook he (your bishop) submitted
to
the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse with his comments
on the proposed Charter revisions. (Every bishop
received
a copy of the Workbook for comment. The return date
deadline was January 15, 2005.)
You may be puzzled by different sets of numbers you
have heard or read regarding the audits, formally known
as the 2004 Annual Report on Findings and Recommendations
on the Implementation of the Charter for the Protection
of Children and Young People. The bishops broke the
numbers of priests, allegations and victims into totals
for dioceses and totals for religious orders but emphasized
the diocesan totals.
The report's numbers break down as follows: Offenders
at 622 diocesan and 139 religious orders for a total
of 756; victims at 889 whose perpetrators of abuse
were diocesan clerics and 194 from religious orders
for
a
total of 1,083; allegations at 898 against diocesan
clerics and 194 against religious orders for a total
of 1, 092.
Dollars spent on the crisis in 2004 came to $139.5
million by dioceses and $18.2 million by religious orders
for a total of $157.7 million. The largest amounts in
the dollar categories were spent for settlements and
attorney fees. Therapy fees for victims and offenders
are also included in this category.
Figures that have not received much press attention
are these: 256 diocesan priests (and deacons) are on
administrative leave (temporarily removed) pending investigation
of allegations and 35 priests (and deacons) remain in
active ministry pending "pre-liminary" investigations.
The Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, whose bishop is
Fabian Bruskewitz, was not audited. As with the 2003
audit, Bishop Bruskewitz refused to take part in the
process unless ordered by the Vatican.
An excerpt from USCCB president Bishop Skylstad's
letter that accompanied the report:
"The last three years have been a humbling experience
for the Church. We bishops have had to face the sinful
betrayal of trust by those who should have been most
trustworthy. We have had to deal with the continuing
consequences of these betrayals. We have pledged to
hold ourselves accountable, as far as is humanly possible,
to see to it that this betrayal never happens again.
We have been able to do this because we have also
heard from the Catholic people, even in the midst of
their sorrow, disappointment, embarrassment, and sometimes
anger, another response. This response is best summed
up in what someone said to me at a public forum that
I conducted in my diocese: 'We're here because we love
our Church.'"
Because Voice of the Faithful loves the Church, because
we are a repository of growing knowledge about the Charter
and the Audits, and because we believe that the bishops
should hold themselves accountable, individually and
collectively, we will continue to watch the numbers
carefully.
From Paul Kendrick: Yesterday, a VOTF member
in Maine asked the Bishop to send her copies of the
audit in its entirety and the completed Workbook. The
diocese's Communications Director responded by saying,
"Neither of these two documents are public documents."
A second letter was sent to the Bishop, requesting additional
information about the audit. No response has yet been
received.
From VOTF Tulsa, OK - A perspective from John Beasely,
VOTF Tulsa, OK, on the 2004 Diocesan Compliance Audits
of the Charter - Article 1 - Outreach to Survivors:
What exactly is a "compliance audit?"
According to the 2004 Annual Report issued by the USCCB
(dated February 2005), the purpose of the audits, which
were performed in 2004, was to determine compliance
with the Charter for the Protection of Children and
Young People. Further, the source of the audited information
most often came from diocesan personnel and was not
substantiated by other audit procedures. And, the auditors
have noted, "compliance with all articles of the Charter
does not necessarily mean that all programs mandated
by the Charter had been fully implemented" at the time
of the audit. That is, a diocese could be considered
to be compliant if a program was simply selected for
future implementation. Amazing!
What does the Charter require regarding outreach
to survivors?
In the Preamble of the Charter, the USCCB acknowledges
the "enormous pain, anger, and confusion" caused
both by clergy sexual abuse and by the manner in which
the bishops have addressed these sins. The bishops also
"take responsibility for dealing with this problem
strongly, consistently, and effectively in the future"
and pledge to "continue to work to restore the bonds
of trust that unite us." Further, the bishops acknowledge
that their work is not limited to words, but must begin
with their actions. Restore trust and take strong,
effective action.
Also in the Preamble, the bishops commit themselves
to a "pastoral outreach to repair the breach"
with those who have been abused and with ALL people
of the Church. And, they commit to "do all we can
to heal the trauma" for the survivors and for the
whole Church. Do all we can to heal.
In Article 1 of the Charter - To Promote Healing and
Reconciliation, the bishops commit to reaching out to
victims/survivors and their families and demonstrating
"a sincere commitment" to their spiritual and emotional
well-being. "The first obligation of the Church with
regard to victims is for healing and reconciliation."
Such outreach will include provisions of counseling,
spiritual assistance, support groups, and other social
services. And, in cooperation with social service agencies
and other churches, support groups should be fostered
and encouraged in local parish communities. The first
obligation of the Church is healing and reconciliation.
What are the facts in the Diocese of Tulsa?
Our bishop has offered several times in the local secular
press and in the diocesan newspaper to meet with anyone
who has been abused and to help them. Our bishop and/or
his clergy representatives have conducted prayer/listening/Q&A
sessions in various parishes.
Approximately two years ago, an individual came to
our bishop with an allegation that a certain priest
had abused him 25 years ago. In the course of our bishop's
investigation of this allegation, he placed the accused
priest on paid administrative leave. Within hours of
being placed on leave, the priest filed a slander lawsuit
against the individual, whose only action had been to
meet with our bishop and make his accusation of abuse.
Since August 31, 2004, VOTF-Tulsa has been working
with our bishop to create and implement (hopefully in
2005) a diocesan-wide outreach program for survivors
of sexual abuse in our diocese. This program is intended
to provide extensive outreach services throughout our
diocese, including confidential non-Church contact points,
counseling provided by non-Church professionals, protection
against lawsuits that may be filed by accused priests,
and public disclosure of the names, dates, and pastoral
locations of all priests (and other Church agents) for
whom the diocese has credible evidence of abuse. This
level of outreach to survivors is required of us, not
only because of the Charter but because we are members
of the Body of Christ.
What are the audit findings and conclusions for
the Diocese of Tulsa?
The stated findings by the auditors are consistent with
the above facts. That is, the information provided by
our diocese to the auditors does not appear to be misleading.
However, the auditor's conclusion is that our diocese
is in compliance with Article 1 of the Charter.
What should a reasonable person conclude about
these audits?
The 2004 audits are not truly "audits" in the normal
use of the word. More accurately, they might be described
as self-disclosure reports of both actual and intended
actions! And, as such, they do NOT serve to restore
trust, as pledged by the bishops. In fact, the misleading
nature of these audit reports has the effect of perpetuating
our distrust. Never mind the concern over future "self-audits."
The ones we have now should not be relied upon as audits.
In the Tulsa diocese, we are hopeful that VOTF-Tulsa's
collaborative efforts with our bishop will soon result
in total compliance with both the spirit and the letter
of the Charter's Article 1. But, as of today, this simply
is not the case. Contrary to the auditors' conclusion,
the Tulsa diocese cannot honestly and reasonably be
considered to be in current compliance with Article
1. Our diocese has not done all that can be done to
heal trauma, as required by the Charter. Our bishop's
offer for survivors to visit him (especially in light
of the recent lawsuit filed by an accused priest) and
his listening sessions in various parishes do not constitute
effective and strong outreach, as required by the Charter.
Our diocese has not provided support groups and other
social services and we have not fostered and encouraged
such support services in our local parish communities,
as required by the Charter.
The truth is that, more than 2 ½ years after the Dallas
Charter and despite the conclusion of the 2004 "audit,"
the Diocese of Tulsa is NOT in compliance with Article
1. The first obligation of the Church, to heal and
to reconcile, has not yet been fulfilled in our Tulsa
diocese. However, on a positive note, our bishop
is now taking steps to fulfill this important obligation
of our Church. And, VOTF-Tulsa is committed to helping
in this effort. We are hopeful that the Diocese of Tulsa's
proposed outreach program will be implemented in 2005
and will serve as an excellent model for all dioceses
in the U.S.
From VOTF LI, NY - Carol Bongiorno
reports: Our LI-VOTF Regional sent out a questionnaire
on the Charter to all members. Basically, my husband
and I felt that revisions should not be made to the
Charter, as it hadn't been given a real chance as is,
in only two years.
From Paulist Center VOTF, Boston,
MA - The Paulist Center Affiliate held a meeting Sunday,
March 6, to discuss the Charter revisions. Copies of
Boston's audit results, and the responses of VOTF and
of SNAP to the audit, the Charter, and a reference to
the workbook on the VOTF website, were sent to all members
in preparation for this meeting.
From VOTF Puget Sound, WA - Paul
Post reports: Puget Sound VOTF is currently working
with our Chancery to address the issue of education
and compliance programs.
SNAP raised the issue of unnamed clergymen who have
been found to have credible allegations against them,
with cases unresolved. We are aware of two such cases
in Seattle that have been sent to the Vatican, where
the identities of the persons have not been revealed
by the Archdiocese. We have been told that they do not
pose a risk; however, we are not aware of how that judgment
was made. PSVOTF continues to advocate that their names
be made public for the safety of the general public.
The Archbishop continues to decline to do so.
For SNAP's excellent analysis "SNAP's Response & Analysis
of Abuse Survey Statistics Released by USCCB on Feb.
18" go to SNAP's
web site.
Given the spin dioceses across the US have used around
the release of these audits, there is an unmistakable
presumption on the part of Church leadership that the
laity will be satisfied with the tailored headlines
and skip over the fine print, as observed by National
Catholic Reporter recently. Many, however, know
better. Read
more .
To find the audit report on your own diocese, click
here and click on Full
Report and Executive Summaries or and scroll
down to list of individual dioceses. For the text of
the remarks made at the press conference on 2004 audits
of dioceses click
here.
From the Los Angeles Times web edition: "While
pledging to stop the sexual abuse of children in the
Roman Catholic Church, the nation's bishops reported
Friday that they had received 1,092 new allegations
in 2004 against at least 756 priests and deacons." For
excellent coverage of these findings, click
here and enter "bishops
new abuse charges" in the Search box. Access is free.
From Coalition
of Catholics and Survivors web
site: "In a stunning display of its miraculous power,
the Church hierarchy transformed the revelation of over
1,000 crimes against children into an occasion for self-congratulation."
ALSO in the news:
"The six board members of St. Stanislaus Kostka parish,
who have been in a protracted battle with St. Louis
Archbishop Raymond Burke over the governance of their
church, received letters late Thursday night informing
them that Burke had placed them under the canon law
penalty of interdict." Interdict is considered a lesser
form of excommunication. It prevents the recipient from
taking part in the Roman Catholic sacraments of the
church, including Holy Communion. Read
more.
The Archdiocese
of St. Louis also has extensive coverage. Click
here
From VOTF member Dee O'Neal: The Chicago Tribune
reports that the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago will
shutter 23 schools and merge or consolidate four more
by next school year. The shakeup will affect one in
10 schools in the nation's largest parochial school
system and could displace more than 4,000 students across
the city and Cook County suburbs. The hardest hit will
be Latino Catholics. Read
more.
A familiar tactic is re-appearing in the recent Vatican
censure of theologian Roger Haight. Readers might want
to follow developments in this story of another voice
under siege. See NCR
editorial . The controversy goes to the heart of
organizations like VOTF who are calling for dialogue
on issues of profound concern to their membership. NCR
asks the right question; "Is this the best way to settle
intellectual disputes in the church?"
Breaking NEWS from Kris Ward, Dayton, OH:
As the Vineyard was going to press, affiliates
in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Cleveland, Ohio were working
together on a campaign to pass legislation that would
change the civil statute of limitations. That work
includes letter writing to legislators, meetings with
legislators, and testimony before Ohio Senate and
House
committees.
The bill before the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee
calls for a civil statute of 25 years beyond the age
of majority (18 years of age in Ohio) and a 24-month
window of opportunity allowing survivors who were barred
from taking legal action under the current statute to
have access to justice. (In California the window of
opportunity was one year.)
The Ohio affiliates began working on statute of limitations
changes in 2004. In terms of the time usually needed
for changing legislation, there has been rapid progress
in Ohio.
At press time, there was controlled optimism that
the Ohio Senate would pass the bill on March 9, 2005
and send it to the Ohio House for consideration March
16, 2005.
It is possible that a bill will be on Ohio Governor
Taft's desk before the end of March. You may be reading
about passage of an extended Statute of Limitations
and a window of opportunity for those previously barred
from filing civil actions in the April edition of the
Vineyard. Stay tuned!
Boston Notes: VOTF member Dee O'Neal in Naperville,
IL asked - What does an archdiocese do with money raised
from property sales? She found a Boston Globe report
on how the Boston Archdiocese has used ALL the cash
from the bank accounts of closed parishes to pay for
(a) salaries of the people who are DOING the closings
and (b) general operating funds. Click
here.
In the Boston, MA archdiocese, VOTF Trustee David
Castaldi was asked to head the Parish Reconfiguration
Fund Oversight Committee. Their first report was
released to the archdiocesan newspaper The Pilot
on Feb. 4. Click
here. This is an introductory report and will be
followed by periodic updates.
Working Group Gathering: The combined efforts of the
Structural Change and Voice of Renewal national working
groups recently created a successful "Day of Renewal"
on 2/21 at St. Paul's Church, Cambridge, MA. The day
allowed group members to reflect on their faith journey
within VOTF and was an opportunity for spiritual development
in community. Continuing the theme of the day, sharing
our gifts, a "model" of the Day of Renewal is being
prepared for online distribution. It was also videotaped
by the SCWG. Participants found this day timely and
re-affirming.
Be sure to check out the lectures and events in the
Boston College program "The
Church in the 21st Century" at . The program includes
a compilation of analyses and essays on the Church's
crisis and search for renewal in C21 Resources,
available free; also, an excellent resource for coverage
of the larger nonprofit world is the Non-Profit
Quarterly e-newsletter.
"The Responsibility of Leadership" is the focus in the
current issue.
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