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	Diocese Has Not Yet Fully Completed Abuse Training By Kevin O'Connor Times Argus April 12, 2007 http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070412/NEWS02/704120360/1003/NEWS02 Vermont's Catholic Church is one of only two dioceses in the nation that has not fully complied with a toughened policy to prevent sexual abuse by priests, an independent report said Wednesday. Bishop Salvatore Matano said the statewide Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington is one article away from meeting the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" adopted by U.S. bishops five years ago at the height of a priest misconduct scandal. Both the Vermont diocese and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati have yet to complete "safe environment training" of all volunteers who work with children, according to the Gavin Group, a private auditing firm hired by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Last year, when the Vermont diocese was one of 11.5 percent of the nation's 195 dioceses and archdioceses yet to meet all the standards, it said it had completed programs in its 16 Catholic schools and was hoping to finish in the state's 124 parishes and missions by June 30, 2006. But that didn't happen, according to the new report. "It is painful we have not been found in full compliance, but I have done the best I possibly can in the timeframe that I've been here," said Matano, who was ordained in 2005. The national Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests reacted to the report with outrage. "The U.S. bishops' sex abuse policies are very weak and enforcement is nearly nonexistent, so for a bishop to be found in violation is significant and troublesome," SNAP outreach director Barbara Dorris said. "The policy was adopted five years ago, so for two bishops to be not in compliance even now is worrisome. Training church staff to spot signs of abuse is a simple but important matter. There's really no excuse for foot-dragging on this." In response, Matano found it "worrisome when hasty or rash generalizations are made." He said the diocese had conducted more than 1,300 individual criminal checks of staff and volunteers, including clergy, teachers, coaches and chaperones. It also has completed training for all groups except for the volunteers. "I don't want to take shortcuts just to meet deadlines," the bishop said. "We have approached this topic very aggressively. Obviously if every other diocese is able to do it, we must be able to do it. We want to know what we have to do. When we are compliant, we will be truly and fully compliant." William Gavin, president of the Massachusetts-based Gavin Group, told the Catholic News Service that the Vermont diocese had been "very conscientious" about working toward full compliance and he expected the statewide church would finish its work this year. U.S. bishops adopted the abuse prevention policy in 2002. It requires dioceses to hire victim assistance coordinators, form review boards to help evaluate abuse claims, conduct background checks on staff and volunteers and teach children to protect themselves from predators. The Vermont diocese faces 26 civil lawsuits in Chittenden Superior Court charging nine of its former priests with child sexual abuse, having spent nearly $1.5 million to settle at least five previous cases out of court. Church leaders stress they aren't paying settlements with regular collection money or the diocesan Bishop's Fund but instead from a separate, specific account designed for unforeseen circumstances. Jerome O'Neill, the Burlington lawyer who is representing all the plaintiffs, responded to Wednesday's report: "It's very unfortunate this diocese has not been able to comply with the guidelines from its own organization." Contact Kevin O'Connor at kevin.oconnor@rutlandherald.com.
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