CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Sun-Times
June 18, 2005
BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN Staff Reporter
Catholic priests guilty of sexual misconduct will continue to be barred from church duties under a revised disciplinary plan approved overwhelmingly Friday by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The bishops also pledged $1 million for an independent study on the sex scandal and established a standing committee for the Protection of Children and Young People during a three-day meeting at the Fairmont Chicago Hotel.
'We must always be vigilant'
The approval of the modified 2002 charter is testament to the bishops' eagerness to keep the church safe and to initiate the healing process, said Archbishop Harry Flynn, of the St. Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocese, who is chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse.
"The light is at the end of the tunnel, although with sin and brokenness, there's never an end. We must always be vigilant and alert," Flynn said.
The five-year extension of the charter was approved 228-4, and an accompanying text called "the norms" passed 229-3, but discussion before the vote indicated many bishops fear that the zero-tolerance policy is too harsh.
Posted by kshaw at June 18, 2005 07:22 AM