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	For Diocese, a Wonderful First Step and Another Opportunity Daily News [Winona] May 20, 2007 http://www.winonadailynews.com/articles/2007/05/20/opinion/ourviews/edit0520.txt Since the Diocese of Winona rolled out its "Safe and Sacred" program, more than 3,000 people from across the diocese have used it to become more knowledgeable about abuse in all of its forms. And the Diocese of Winona should be praised for its one-of-a-kind Web site that aims to reach all of its members, clergy and professionals in a geographically expansive territory. The materials found on the "Safe and Sacred" Web site are high-quality — the diocese has partnered with a Twin Cities software firm that has helped develop the curriculum as well as the technology to deliver the program. The messages are simple, and the diocese can easily track who has participated in the program and what progress has been made. The Web site teaches about the sacred nature of the body and how to keep safe. In fact, the site is so inclusive, it even includes toy recalls. PJ Thompson, Chancellor of the Diocese of Winona, said, "If it's about safety, we want it there." The Web site is really an evolutionary process that kicked into high gear after the clergy abuse scandals broke nationwide in the 1990s. Thompson said the diocese has been training about abuse and reporting abuse for more than 15 years. The new program, which is being offered to everyone in the diocese, is now being considered as a model for other dioceses around the nation. Thompson said the "Safe and Sacred" program is currently looking at collaborating with the National Childhood Protection Training Center, too. It's great news that such a wonderful program was designed, implemented and rolled out in Winona. It's another fine example of the entrepreneurial spirit extending far beyond industry and business. This new program will not only affect the members of the Catholic churches in our area, but in a good portion of the entire state. It's a great first step, with Thompson promising more components to come. In that spirit, we'd suggest another step for the diocese. As the diocese looks ahead to other curriculum to include in the program, it need look no further than its own past. A recent USA Today report listed the Diocese of Winona as No. 2 among Minnesota dioceses in amount of money spent because of clergy sex abuse (only the Archdiocese of St. Paul spent more). It's not enough for the Diocese of Winona to protect the children and members of the area from now on; it must reconcile itself to a tragic past, one of clergy sex abuse. To reconcile itself means that it must deal with the fact that the diocese let a tiny segment of its priesthood victimize its most vulnerable members — children. And it failed to stop these monsters from continuing to prey on others by moving them from parish to parish, location to location. Clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic church is one issue the diocese should be unflinchingly clear about: It was a party to horrible crimes against its members and God. Justice, at the very least, demands acknowledgement; reconciliation demands responsibility. The diocese has now established itself as a leader in training members currently and protecting future members — the children — through its new online program. And it can join with other dioceses in making the final step, reconciling itself with the victims and the diocese's history. For example, the Archdiocese of Dubuque has taken bold steps toward dealing openly and honestly with its own sad history. Its site, www.arch.pvt.k12.ia.us/ Protection/Protectionhome. html, not only lists known Catholic priests who molested members but also tells what the church knew and when it knew it. The site also contains an amazing and poignant letter of apology from Archbishop Jerome Hanus. We think the Diocese of Winona could take a lesson from its neighbor to the south. True healing cannot happen without the truth — in all of its ugliness. The church must be willing to shoulder the responsibility and speak about its role as freely from the pulpit as it would from behind closed doors. It must be willing to share the particulars of those who broke the law while serving the church. It must be willing to listen to and acknowledge victims' stories. And it must be ready to explain why it tolerated this type of behavior and commit to more accountability that will ensure nothing like this ever happens again. Until that happens, healing and reconciliation will not be possible in this diocese. The new "Safe and Sacred" program is a great model, not only for other dioceses or religious organizations, but for any organization. The plans to collaborate ensure its success and are great models for others in the community. We hope to see additional content being added, and we hope that through the reach and power of the Internet, not only can education happen, but reconciliation, too.
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