Helping teachers address the sex-abuse crisis

Father Kenneth Doyle gave a keynote address at the Academy of the Holy Names in Albany on Friday, as part of the diocesan Catholic School Office's annual “We Light the Way” event, centered around professional development for Catholic school teachers in the Diocese of Albany. In his address, “Critical Issues for Today’s Catholic School Teacher,” he focused on how to navigate the disillusionment in the Church caused by the recent epidemic of sexual abuse scandals reported worldwide. Here are some of Father Doyle’s key points on the scope of sexual abuse in our society and how to try to prevent it from happening again:

Realizing the Dimension of the Problem

Father Doyle said the scourge of sexual abuse is a universal problem, not just within the Church: One out of every three girls and one out of every seven boys will be sexually assaulted before they turn 18. The percentage of Catholics abandoning their faith is sharper than other religious groups, however, with the decline based on the Church not prioritizing the victim, he said. In the past, names of perpetrators were often not released or they were transferred to other dioceses, something that served to protect the institution rather than the individual.

Clergy determined to be guilty were removed from ministry and sent away for rehabilitation therapy with psychological assistance, while others were not permitted to return, he said. “Offending priests were often treated more as sinners in need of repentance rather than criminals,” he said.

But since the 2002, when the U.S. bishops established the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the Albany Diocese has publicly named all priests found to have credibly abused a minor. In 2015, the Diocese was among a few in the nation to post a list of all known clergy offenders, both living and deceased.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops also established the Safe Environment awareness training, known as Virtus, which provides training in recognizing and reporting child abuse to appropriate civil and Church authorities. Since 2002, the Diocese of Albany has conducted 37,440 background checks on staff and volunteers, and 35,806 individuals have completed Virtus at least once. This includes priests, deacons, parish life directors, parish and diocesan employees, school staff and all volunteers.

Hold Bishops Accountable

Father Doyle recapped some of the solutions Pope Francis offered during the Vatican sexual-abuse summit in February: Lay experts must be included in tackling the problem, accusations must be reported to civil authorities, and, most importantly, bishops must be held responsible in protecting children against abusive clerics. From the meeting, the Vatican announced plans to release a handbook for bishops to understand their duties in regard to abuse cases. The Church, he said, will not tolerate skeptical bishops who don’t handle procedures properly, in turn removing them from ministry for negligence.

Don’t be Afraid of Questions

When it comes to school-aged children, have a conversation with them about what’s going on. Children may hear of a sex-abuse scandal on the news or among peers, causing disillusionment toward the Church. Father Doyle suggested explaining that we are ashamed of this scandal because it is wrong, sinful and criminal. “Encourage children to ask questions and answer them honestly, depending on their age and if you feel comfortable enough. Try to get them to think about priests they personally know, or ask them what they know about priests and how they spend their free time.”

Remind Them

Talk about the strength priests give to families in times of sorrow. Television often won’t tell kids about the vital role the Church plays in the community through social services, so highlight the all the good the Church does, he suggested. “The Church is like a family, and you don’t abandon your family because it’s having problems. You stick around and you try to help.” This is the same Church that opened the first orphanages, founded the first universities, operates 500 hospitals in all 50 states; that through Catholic Charities serves more of the poor than any other organization, providing shelter and housing, food pantries and counseling. “The same Church that here in New York state runs 600 elementary and secondary schools, educating more than 200,000 students. When someone hears about sex abuse, all that fades into the background and the primary image is an abusive priest,” Father Doyle said.

Fast and Pray in Solidarity

Father Doyle said parishes across America are holding Holy Hours to pray for the sex-abuse survivors and for the renewal of the Church. Some of these services also include the Lenten practice of fasting. In solidarity with the victims, this fasting could be through giving up something, such as meat or the use of electronics. Some dioceses are using social media to address the crisis. One Bishop used Facebook Live to address questions regarding the crisis. Here in the Diocese of Albany, Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger has released numerous statements and columns on the topic which have been shared widely on social media and the diocesan website, and several parishes held discussion nights to address questions related to clergy sexual abuse.

“We’re all in this together, and we’re the ones who can make things better,” Father Doyle said. “The Bishops are not the Church, the priests are not the Church, all of us are the Church, and for most people the Catholic Church serves as a positive source.”