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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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In the Vineyard
March 2005
Volume 4, Issue 3

Page One

National News - USCCB CHARTER Discussion in VOTF

VOTF Best Practice February 2005

Council News

Book Review

Commentary

Prayer for the Paschal Season

Affiliate News

In the Vineyard Archives

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For an overview of press coverage of VOTF, click here.