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| The Orthodox Reform Manifesto (1st Draft) Orthodox Reform [United States] April 25, 2007 http://orthodoxreform.org/topic/manifesto/1st-draft/ [Editor's note: While we have not finished the articles of our manifesto, we feel it is in the best interest of community involvement that we publish an early outline of its contents. This is only a summary; the future manifesto will be comprehensive. Please let us know your comments!] Summary The Orthodox Reform Manifesto consists of policies and procedures, accountability, and ecclesiastical reform to overcome sexual misconduct, establish healing, and restore trust in the Church. Preamble We believe the Orthodox clergy are called to be holy and beyond reproach. We believe our Bishops are called to be more interdependent and less autocratic. The believe the Faithful are called to respect and be faithful to our Church Canons and Holy Tradition. Openness and dialog build trust; secrecy and apathy destroy the glue that holds us together. Given the magnitude of sexual misconduct issues within the church, its mishandling by certain Hierarchs in multiple jurisdictions, and the destructive effect these abuses of power have upon the Church, we hereby call upon laity and clergy alike to mobilize in support of change. Our earnest prayer is that the fruit of our efforts will be restored faith in the church, an energized laity that can support our Hierarchs in good conscious, and healing for those who have been wounded by those in positions of trust. To this end, we hereby propose ten articles of reform entitled "The Orthodox Reform Manifesto." [Editor's note: the following is only a first draft summary of the proposed articles; a future draft will provide in depth explanations of each article.] Article I: Zero Tolerance The Orthodox hierarchy must have zero tolerance for any type of clergy sexual misconduct. Article II: Education We will educate both laity and clergy about how we, as the Church, can prevent abuse and help victims to heal from their wounds. Article III: Recurring Diligence We will conduct recurring clergy background checks, ongoing spiritual formation, and continuing education to ensure the purity of our priests. Article IV: Safe Environment Programs We will establish safe environment programs at parishes and other church sponsored institutions. Article V: Due Process We advocate procedures that allow for safe, fair, and compassionate investigation of sexual misconduct, with due process for both victims and clergy. The Manifesto's proposed "Uniform Sexual Misconduct Procedure" for due process will consist of the following steps: 1. Preliminary Investigation Article VI: Full Disclosure We advocate full disclosure of clergy sex crimes and cover-ups along with a comprehensive "registry" web site with assignment histories, locations, and status of all clergy. Article VII: Measurable Accountability We advocate measurable accountability of Bishops and priests; those found to be protecting priests who engage in improper relationships will themselves be disciplined. Article VIII: Acknowledgment We advocate public acknowledgment of mistakes made so they are not repeated, including an offer by the appropriate Bishop to meet individually with victims to apologize. Article IX: Outreach The hierarchy must offering tangible, pastoral outreach to victims and their family, including paying for professional counseling — even if the victim is suing the diocese. Article X: Ecclesiastical Reform We advocate ongoing spiritual formation of clergy, improvements to cross-jurisdictional administration, and a return to early Orthodox practices for selecting and grooming Bishops. Conclusion We cannot hope to address all of the issues of clergy sexual misconduct in this short manifesto. However, if we adopt the articles set forth above, we will have made a good beginning to restoring the trust and participation of the laity which current corruption threatens to destroy. |
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