What Bishop Hubbard has said about abuse

Over the course of the past year or more, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard has repeatedly addressed the abuse crisis in his columns in The Evangelist, homilies, speeches and a letter to Catholics. Here is a sampling of his comments:

* "I want to offer a word of encouragement to my brother priests, my cherished co-workers in ministry. You and your priestly ministry have been placed under a cloud as a result of the serious misconduct of a few of our numbers, here and elsewhere, and as a result of the assessment of how Church leaders like myself have handled these reprehensible violations of sacred trust.

"It is grossly unfair, however, that you are bearing the brunt of a scandal not of your own making....Sadly, you good and faithful priests who go about your daily ministry with diligence, dedication and heroic sacrifice have been caught in the crossfire: your image tarnished, your ministry ridiculed, and your integrity and moral probity questioned.

"But I know your goodness and the selfless service you exercise, day in and day out -- and your people do, too....Without you, my mission simply could not be fulfilled. Know, then, of my love, support, affirmation and gratitude."

-- from a homily at a Mass marking his silver jubilee as bishop, April 7, 2002, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany

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* "The Church in general and our Diocese specifically have been seeking to put into place policies and procedures to screen out people who are not emotionally or psychologically capable of assuming the position of sacred trust which priesthood entails. These policies, I believe, are proving effective."

-- from his May 2002 column in The Evangelist

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* "Let me take this opportunity to apologize, deeply and sincerely, to all who have been victimized....I have come to appreciate the profound trauma and potential life-long consequences which such persons endure."

-- from his pulpit letter, read at all Masses in the Diocese on Pentecost 2002

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* "People must know that the Church will not condone or tolerate the reprehensible sexual abuse of minors or any other violation of sacred trust on the part of our clergy."

-- from his June 2002 column in The Evangelist

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* "I take this opportunity to apologize once again to victims of clergy sexual misconduct and their families for the terrible...hurt you have endured.

"I apologize also to all our Catholic people for the tremendous disgrace brought to our Church by the heinous sin and crime of clergy sexual misconduct, and for the anger, outrage and bitterness generated by the way in which Church authorities like myself have handled these cases of misconduct in the past....

"I ask your prayers seeking healing for all victims of clergy sexual misconduct and their families, and for priest offenders who in their humanity have sinned and now been removed from ministry permanently....

-- from his July 2002 column in The Evangelist, derived from a homily given at St. Joseph's Church in Fort Edward

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* "Let me acknowledge my complicity in this scandal by failing to act in this matter with the forthrightness and transparency which the new 'Charter for the Protection of Children and Young Adults' now calls for and, more significantly, by failing to appreciate some of the tragic effects of sexual abuse on victims and their families, and the corresponding need of the Church to be more proactive in bringing healing into their lives. For this, I apologize profusely.

"I also apologize...to our Catholic faithful who have had to endure the shame of this scandal, and whose trust and confidence in the leadership of the Church have been shattered or shaken severely....

"I simply want to acknowledge these failures candidly, to ask forgiveness for my role in this terrible nightmare and to pledge to do all in my power to insure that the reforms enacted [by the U.S. bishops] in Dallas be implemented fully in our Diocese."

-- from his August 2002 column in The Evangelist, based on a homily given at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany at a service of healing

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* "Like other assaults on human life, such as abortion, euthanasia, domestic violence and capital punishment, child sexual abuse insults human dignity, poisons society and dishonors the Creator. As a Church, then, we must not only teach that all of these acts are morally unacceptable but also strive to understand the causes of such violations of human dignity and find constructive approaches to prevent them."

-- from his October 2002 column in The Evangelist

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* "It's been a year of horrendous pain. Pain in realizing more fully how deeply victims have been hurt and their families affected. Pain over the anger and embarrassment that's been created for members of our faith community....It seems there is pain all over and very little healing right now....

"Having talked to victims and their families, I knew the pain they had suffered....I believe that it's important to acknowledge that we failed in many respects in dealing with this. I don't want anyone to think that the apologies are pro forma or that there isn't an inner sense of contrition....It comes from the very depth of my being....

"I've always tried to hear what victims have to say; to apologize for the harm that was done; and to let them know that we regret the terrible trauma they suffered...."

-- from an in-depth interview with The Evangelist, March 13, 2003

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* "I concur with the call for transparency and accountability about the number of perpetrators, victims and costs associated with the scandal....The goal of transparency clearly is not to punish the innocent, traumatize victims or invade properly confidential meetings. The goal, as we see it, is to protect the community against abusers, and give the laity and the public access to information on -þ and, therefore, greater control over -- the Church's management of these matters....

"The media's coverage of the scandal is marked by complexity. On the one hand, the media are to be credited for exposing the scandal and for pursuing it persistently. On the other hand,... most media attention continues to focus on allegations 20, 30 and 40 years old, and the legal action surrounding them. The Church's constructive response to victims is a vastly under-reported story."

-- from a speech March 29, 2003, at a symposium on abuse, held at Siena College in Loudonville

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* "I join in the call for the laity to step up and assume their birthright as full, adult members and leaders in our faith communities. This has been a constant theme through my episcopacy; and, if there is a ray of light to emerge from this tragedy, I hope it will be an even more informed and active laity. Such a development should result in a willingness to address seriously and constructively...the nature of authority in the Church, the role of hierarchy and the discipline of celibacy. I am confident that such a candid discussion would bear rich fruit and be guided by the Spirit."

-- from a speech March 29, 2003, at a symposium on abuse, held at Siena College in Loudonville

(An archive of the Bishop's columns and other coverage of the abuse issue can be found at www.evangelist.org and www.rcda.org.)

(6/19/03) [[In-content Ad]]