DALLAS MEETING: ALL PLAY ROLE

Any Catholic who has ever declared, "If only I were bishop," probably wouldn't want that wish to come true this week as the leaders of the Church gather in Dallas to scythe their way through the thicket of thorny questions that surrounds a universally acceptable solution to the abuse scandal.

It's easy for some people to lob heavy-handed or light-minded criticism at the bishops for how they have (or have not) handled this issue. It's far more difficult to wrestle with the complexities involved in order to come up with a just and Christian response that balances many conflicting elements: a victim's right to privacy against the need to report crimes, which could result in public exposure of the victim...an accused person's right to the presumption of innocence versus the need to protect potential victims if that presumption is misplaced...a priest's right to ongoing care from his diocese against the Church's need to distance itself from abusive men...psychiatric treatment for abusers who are suffering from a mental illness while not coddling malefactors...casting abusive priests off but not releasing them into the world unsupervised. And the list goes on and on.

It's tempting to say that the bishops don't have a prayer of severing these Gordian knots, but, of course, they do. Amid the turmoil, discussion and dispute, Catholics have made sure to pray over this issue and for those who must resolve it. As we report on the front page this week, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard asserts that prayer is precisely what will see the Church through this dark night of its collective soul.

When the bishops release their final statement from Dallas, much will remain to be done. For starters, approval will have to be given by the Vatican and individual diocesan policies will have to be adjusted to match the national stance. Those and other follow-up steps will take time. What will bridge that gap are even more prayers: for patience and understanding, for healing of victims and abusers, for reconciliation of all parties, and for the wisdom that will see us all through.

(06-13-02)

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