ABUSE Bishop supports Dallas document

The 3,000-word draft proposal is titled "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People." The bishops will debate and vote on it when they meet June 13-15. If passed, the policy must be approved by the Vatican.

Policy stances

The policy calls for:

* laicizing any priest or deacon who commits even one act of abuse of a minor in the future;

* laicizing anyone who has committed more than one abusive act in the past or who is diagnosed as a pedophile;

* stringent review by a predominantly lay review board for a one-time past offender who has been treated in order to determine whether he can be returned to any kind of ministry.

Bishop's reaction

He said that the draft "seeks first of all to protect children from harm, promotes healing and reconciliation with victims, and demands a prompt response to allegations, [a response] which includes cooperation with civil authorities."

Bishop Hubbard also expressed support for the draft's inclusion of "a mechanism for accountability -þ namely, a National Office for Child and Youth Protection, in order to insure that the new policies will be strictly enforced throughout the country in every diocese.

"What especially pleases me is that the document proposes a joint study, along with other churches and institutions, of the problem of sexual abuse of children which spans American society. The figures we already know are terrifying: in the United States, before they reach the age of 18, more than 25 percent of girls and more than 10 percent of boys have been sexually abused by an adult. If the pain the Church is undergoing now can somehow result in a safer climate for children across America, that is the silver lining in the dark cloud we've been under."

Reservation

Bishop Hubbard expressed a single reservation about the draft, noting: "When the abuse occurred many years ago, when the man has since been treated and rehabilitated, when there has not been a single incident of recidivism over 20 or 30 years, when the man has functioned effectively as a priest for all that time, I continue to believe that this might be the sort of case to bring before a largely lay panel, including several parents, to determine whether that priest could be kept in a limited form of ministry, under careful watch and away from children.

"The draft document, however, virtually eliminates this possibility, and I'm not sure a Church which preaches forgiveness and the reality of repentance should do that.

"On the other hand, many people feel -- and I understand their perspective -- that at this point in time, restoring credibility to the Church demands a 'clean sweep.' I'll keep an open mind on this and see how the discussion goes in Dallas."

(06-06-02) [[In-content Ad]]