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	Group Targets Actions of Lincoln's Bishop Bruskewitz Sioux City Journal June 1, 2007 http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/05/31/news/nebraska/4f69a1e46f2d804e862572ec000dd64b.txt Lincoln — More than 1,000 Catholics from around the country have signed a petition protesting decisions by Lincoln Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz. The petition, which will given to the Lincoln Diocese on Friday, criticizes his refusal to participate in the U.S. bishops' annual audit of sex abuse data — the only diocese in the country to opt out. It also criticizes his barring girls from serving at the altar and his 1996 excommunication of Call to Action Nebraska members. "We are not happy with the way Bishop Bruskewitz has been handling things in the diocese and wanted to draw attention to that," said Rachel Pokora, president of Call to Action Nebraska. "We find this to be very disappointing because we feel the children of Lincoln and the diocese are at risk," said Nicole Sotelo, spokeswoman for the Chicago-based Call to Action U.S.A. Call to Action, which says it has more than 25,000 members nationwide, has long criticized how the church handled allegations of sexual abuse of children by priests and questions the church's tradition of a male-only, unmarried priesthood. Lincoln Diocese Chancellor Mark Huber declined to comment. The Lincoln Diocese participated in the first audit, in 2003, but not since. In April, Bruskewitz said the diocese was operating in full compliance with all civil and church laws concerning the abuse of minors and that the diocese was not obligated to submit to the audit. "The Catholic Church teaches that all homosexual acts and any sexual abuse of minors or others are mortal sins," Bruskewitz said in a statement. "Such sins and heinous crimes should be appropriately punished by the authorities of the church and the state." While the audit may be helpful in other dioceses, he said, it "has not proven to be so in the Diocese of Lincoln." Teresa Kettelkamp, executive director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection, which administers the audit, said dioceses are required to have a victim-assistance coordinator and a review board. Dioceses also must report allegations of sexual abuse of a minor by a priest. She said of Bruskewitz: "He has the right to say no. I don't want people to think just because he doesn't get audited that children are at risk."
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