At 9:30 on Sunday morning, about 50 members of SurvivorsFirst and
Voice of the Faithful assembled in Cathedral Square in Providence
to request that the Attorney General of Rhode Island vigorously
pursue a course of action to insure that the rights of those abused
by clergy of the Roman Catholic Church be protected and that the
perpetrators of crimes against these victims be prosecuted to the
fullest extent of the law.
Standing beneath a Cross of Shame depicting the names of accused
priests, alleged enabling bishops, and elected officials who allegedly
failed to execute existing laws and demand accountability from officials
of the Catholic Church, and carrying posters showing photographs
(or in some cases silhouettes, to maintain the victim’s privacy),
survivors of abuse and their supporters outlined the history of
abuse in the diocese of Providence, named the abusers, and demonstrated
the failure of the Church and the justice system to protect the
innocent and punish the guilty. Personnel records of accused and
convicted priests have not been released, despite court orders to
do so, even after nine years of courtroom battles.
The group then marched while carrying the Cross of Shame, banners,
and photographs to the area opposite the office of the state Attorney
General, and then back to Cathedral Square.
This represents the first major multi-organizational demonstration
by these agencies in Rhode Island. Demonstrations will continue
here, as they have in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, until justice
is served for those whose lives have been so severely damaged (and
in some cases, lost) as a result of this terrible tragedy, and until
sufficient safeguards are put in place and meticulously maintained
to insure that a scandal of this magnitude can never again be executed,
supported, defended, and hidden in an organization that compels
such faith and trust from its constituency, and until records pertaining
to allegations of such crimes can be made available to law enforcement,
prosecutorial agencies, and victims' attorneys/advocates with complete
transparency and accountability.
What made this event unique was the presence of a Franciscan priest,
Fr. Mike Joyce, OFM, who joined the march while it was in progress
and demonstrated true empathy with the survivors for their pain,
compassion for them and their families, sorrow for the actions of
those of his fellow priests who were involved as abusers, and dismay
that the Church and civil authorities have done so little to help
the victims but continue to add to their suffering. If our bishops
could only demonstrate the same Christian love, truth and sense
of justice that Fr. Mike Joyce exhibited, healing could become a
reality.
-- Steve Sheehan
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