UNITED STATES
Christian Science Monitor
By Jane Lampman
Next step in clergy sex abuse crisis
Three years after agreeing on a charter to protect children from sexual abuse by priests, US Catholic bishops are ready to finalize that policy and make permanent their ad hoc committee on the troubling issue.
At the spring meeting of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, which begins Thursday in Chicago, they will also consider financing for an independent study of the causes of the clergy abuse crisis.
Their actions come as the cost of settlements, counseling, and legal fees passes the $1 billion mark, as tallied by the Associated Press. Three dioceses have declared bankruptcy, and hundreds of cases remain to be dealt with.
Some technical revisions will be made to the charter and the legal norms that implement it. But the zero-tolerance policy - which removes a priest from the ministry for a single offense - is expected to be retained.
Many Catholics called for the study on the causes of the crisis, but the estimated cost of up to $4 million is greater than the conference can fund, says Msgr. Francis Maniscalco, communications director. So bishops will vote on spending $1 million, and also seek outside funding.