BishopAccountability.org
	Full Disclosure Required Voice from the Desert [United States] May 4, 2007 http://voicefromthedesert.blogspot.com/2007/05/full-disclosure-required.html After reading details about safe environment education programs for children from a recently released bishops-funded report, one would think that kids are now safe. But education at the parish level is just one part of keeping kids safe from actual and potential sexual predators employed by the Church. What about seminary applicants? Is there independent lay oversight of psychological screening of candidates? What about secret and expensive Catholic Conference lobbying efforts to kill long overdue reform of outdated statutes of limitations (SOL) on sex abuse crimes against children? What about full disclosure of information about priests and other church workers who are proven abusers, admitted abusers, and those suspended or dismissed from active ministry, employment, or volunteer activities because sufficient credible evidence of sexual abuse exists? To date, less than 10% of the 195 U.S. dioceses have provided public disclosure of information about abusers. This record is shameful. The protection of our children and vulnerable adults demands full disclosure; the restoration of the bishops’ trust and credibility requires it. Continued secrecy only contributes to the common sense conclusion that the Church is sheltering criminals. Therefore, bishops need to provide full and public disclosure of information about those under their authority, both clerical and lay (priests, deacons, lay employees, and volunteers), who are proven abusers, admitted abusers, and those persons that the bishop, with the confidential consultative support of a predominantly lay review board, has suspended or dismissed from active ministry, employment, or volunteer activities because sufficient credible evidence of sexual abuse exists. This information should be provided permanently on official, user-friendly, and easily accessible Church websites and other public media and should, at a minimum, include: 1. The name, address, and/or current whereabouts of all proven abusers, admitted abusers, and those suspended or dismissed from active ministry, employment, or volunteer activities, including those disclosed in the John Jay Report (data 1950-2002) and in all other sources. 2. The assignment history, including dates and places, of all proven abusers, admitted abusers, and those suspended or dismissed from active ministry, employment, or volunteer activities because sufficient evidence of sexual abuse exists. This information should include where each person served at the time of the announcement, if any, of his or her removal from active ministry or other Church work. 3. Adequate provision for removal of the names of any persons reinstated after suspension or dismissal from active ministry, employment, or volunteer activities because of alleged abuse, and appropriate dissemination of such information. 4. The current status of all cases that have been submitted to the Vatican of proven abusers, admitted abusers, and those suspended or dismissed from active ministry. 5. All agreements between Church officials and proven abusers, admitted abusers, and those suspended or dismissed from active ministry, employment, or volunteer activities, including information about financial support, retirement and health care benefits, any restrictions on the place of residence, any restrictions on freedom of travel or interaction with children, and any restrictions on the disclosure of information about reasonably suspected abuse.
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