By Bob Reeves
Lincoln Journal Star
April 11, 2007
http://www.journalstar.com/news/local/doc461d549e7f229707906150.txt
Once again, the Lincoln Roman Catholic Diocese has been singled out as the country's only diocese that refused to participate in an annual audit of sex abuse data.
More than 99 percent of dioceses and eparchies nationwide responded to the voluntary survey of sex abuse claims and compliance with bishops' guidelines on protection of children and young people, according to a release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Only the Lincoln Diocese and a small Melkite Catholic eparchy in Massachusetts refused to participate.
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| Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz photographed in the Bishop's Chapel at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ. |
"The Diocese of Lincoln is operating in full compliance with all civil and all laws of the Catholic Church concerning the abuse of minors," Lincoln Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz said in a prepared statement.
"The Catholic Church teaches that all homosexual acts and any sexual abuse of minors or others are mortal sins. Such sins and heinous crimes should be appropriately punished by the authorities of the church and the state."
The diocese has fully implemented essential norms for preventing sex abuse, as issued by the Vatican, "and is vigilant to make every reasonable effort to see that any and all abuse is prevented," the statement said.
Bruskewitz noted the Lincoln Diocese endorses a report by the Catholic Medical Association entitled "To Protect and Prevent — The Sexual Abuse of Children and its Prevention," and continues "to take appropriate steps to prevent such abuse."
The diocese participated in the bishops' initial audit in 2003 but has has not participated since.
Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, outreach director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, was critical of Bruskewitz's decision not to participate.
"The U.S. Bishops' five year old sex abuse policies are very weak and enforcement is nearly non-existent," she said. "So for a bishop to deliberately ignore them is troublesome. Lincoln's bishop should be ashamed of himself and Nebraska Catholics should insist that he cooperate with this bare minimum process to begin keeping kids safe."
But Bruskewitz called the audit "an optional tool the dioceses may, but are not obliged to use."
He added: "The Diocese of Lincoln has exercised its option to refrain from participation in the audit, as its application, though perhaps helpful in some dioceses, has not proven to be so in the Diocese of Lincoln."
According to the audit, the number of clergy sex abuse claims nationwide against Catholic bishops and religious orders dropped — from 1,092 in 2004 to 783 in 2005 and 714 in 2006.
More than 70 percent of incidents against minors reported in 2006 occurred between 1960 and 1984.
Reach Bob Reeves at 473-7212 or breeves@journalstar.com.
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