|
Voice of the Faithful
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
St. Louis, MO
Sandy Simonson,
VOTF Arizona
June 19, 2003
On May 3, 2003, Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien signed a legal settlement
with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office wherein he acknowledged
his role in the sexual abuse crisis in the Diocese of Phoenix and
agreed to make several structural changes in leadership in exchange
for immunity from prosecution. Bishop O'Brien acknowledged as a
part of this agreement that he knowingly transferred abusive priests
into other parishes where they continued to work with children,
and that he did so without notifying those parish communities. Additionally,
the agreement requests payments of over $900,000 by the Diocese.
The reaction of Arizona Catholics has been one of shock, outrage,
sadness, and shame.
- We are ashamed that
priests in our diocese have sexually abused members of their congregations.
- We are furious that
these revelations of abuse have taken so many years to be disclosed
and dealt with by our Bishop, and that external legal and media
forces have been required to bring out the truth.
- We are grateful that
we have a County Attorney willing to use his office to pursue
the truth of this abuse and the Episcopal malfeasance that enabled
it.
- We are relieved to
see six more perpetrators of sexual abuse criminally charged.
- We are outraged that
for years our donations have been used to pay for legal settlements
without our knowledge.
- We are hopeful that
this scandal will cause laity to stand up for their rightful place
in the Church and demand accountability of a clerical power structure
that has abused their trust. We believe deep within our hearts
and souls that the Spirit of the Lord is at work I this horrible
crisis.
There is much to be learned from the experiences of the Diocese
of Phoenix:
- Perhaps the saddest
lesson is that while Bishop O'Brien refused to meet with concerned
laity, he was willing to negotiate structural leadership change
with the county attorney.
- More shocking is that
the Vatican will sooner cede power to civil authorities than negotiate
change with the Catholic faithful.
- We have learned that
a Catholic Bishop would not make significant changes that will
make him accountable to the people who support him with prayer
and donations.
- We have learned that
a Catholic Bishop will continue to assign priests without approval
by parish councils or any lay oversight.
- We have learned that
a Catholic bishop listens more to his lawyers than to his pastoral
training, thereby failing to adequately reach out to victims.
- We have learned that
priests react fearfully to requests for support from the faithful
who want to work to support abuse victims and good priests.
While we as Catholics can certainly forgive personal failings on
the part of our leaders, we cannot continue to acknowledge as leaders
those without the vision and management skills necessary to see
the Church through its reform as a result of this crisis. We call
on the Vatican to accept the resignation of any bishop who has lost
his moral authority as a result of his role in the crisis.
We must demand leadership
- who will listen to
the faithful more than their lawyers
- who will seek justice
before fraternal loyalty
- who will recognize
the role of the laity in the governance and guidance of the Church
- and who will speak
humbly rather than judgmentally to any member of the diocese asking
for accountability.
However, it is not enough as faithful Catholics to demand more
of our leadership; we must demand more of ourselves. We must accept
that our complacency has allowed the lack of accountability and
abuse of power in our leadership. If we love our church, we must
hold our leaders accountable and we must be responsible donors of
our time, financial resources, and talents. Voice of the Faithful
has provided a safe, effective way for Catholics to make their voices
heard in this regard.
Sadly, the events in the Diocese of Phoenix were eclipsed this
week by a tragic accident, and the arrest of Bishop O'Brien for
leaving the scene of a fatal accident. We have a sense of profound
sadness as we pray for the family of James Reed, as well as Bishop
O'Brien and his family. Out of these devastating events comes a
new beginning for the Diocese of Phoenix, with the appointment of
Archbishop Michael Sheehan as interim leader of our diocese. We
welcome Archbishop Sheehan, and are hopeful that he will engage
in meaningful dialogue with the Voice of the Faithful, and lead
us in creating a culture of openness, trust, and accountability.
We pray that all Catholic leaders be builders of faith and trust,
and that they be open, honest, and worthy of the trust they seek
to regain.
|
