UNITED STATES
Toledo Blade
BLADE RELIGION EDITOR
Two national organizations that have closely monitored the nation's clerical sexual abuse crisis are asking U.S. Roman Catholic bishops to reverse their decision to cut back on the number of on-site audits that investigate dioceses' compliance with child-protection procedures.
Voice of the Faithful, a Catholic lay group, and Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a victims' advocacy group, have asked the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to rescind their decision to scale back on the annual audits mandated by U.S. bishops in 2002.
The new procedures, adopted in November, end the requirement for outside auditors to visit dioceses if they were found to be in full compliance with the new safeguards in 2003 and 2004. Instead, such dioceses would fill out questionnaires on compliance.
A spokesman for the USCCB said the revision is intended to make the process more efficient, not to undermine the bishops' reforms.
In 2003, 90 percent of U.S. dioceses were found in full compliance with the safeguards adopted by U.S. bishops in Dallas in 2002. Final nationwide tallies for 2004 have not been reported, but the Toledo diocese was found to be in full compliance both years.
Posted by kshaw at December 18, 2004 07:00 AM