BishopAccountability.org
	Statement of Bishop Ronald Fabbro Diocese of London August 6, 2006 http://www.rcec.london.on.ca/abuse/syl2.htm My Dear People: There are two themes in this Sunday's readings for the Feast of the Transfiguration. The first is the theme of judgment. In the first reading from Daniel, he states: "The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened". The second theme in today's readings is renewal and transfiguration. In the reading from the Second Letter of Peter, he says: "we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." My homily today comes in the aftermath of the guilty plea of Fr. Charles Sylvestre to many counts of sexual assault spanning many years. I met with Crown Attorney, Paul Bailey, and psychologist, Peter Jaffe. They told me the moving stories of the victims of Fr. Sylvestre. Through them, I have heard the cries of pain of the victims, their anger and despair, and their demand that the Church ensure that no other innocent children and young people are ever abused by a Catholic priest. That some of the abuse had a religious aspect made it especially wounding to the young souls of these victims. I acknowledge that it may be difficult for victims to hear people like me speak on the subject of priestly abuse. In their pain and anger, what I say can seem insincere, defensive and self-serving. I am here to tell you that I am saying what I mean, and that I mean what I say. It was Jesus Christ who said: "Let the children come to me." And he also said: "If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea". Christ is innocence and the protector of innocence. All Christians are called to imitate Christ, but especially Catholic priests. We priests are rightly held by the faithful to the highest standard of morality and conduct and to be in a position of sacred trust. And yet, over the years some priests have abused children. What could be more hypocritical, people ask, than this evil? What could be a greater betrayal of innocence? And they are right. Jesus Christ, who cherished innocence, would and did denounce those who corrupt innocence. I sincerely apologize to the victims and their families for the abuse they endured at the hands of Fr. Sylvestre, and for suffering the consequences of that abuse over the years. I apologize as well for the failure of the Church to protect the victims and their families from Fr. Sylvestre. In hearing the stories of the victims, I knew right away that their hearts had been broken, and it was heartbreaking for me to hear of their experiences. Love, and time, and reconciliation can help to heal broken hearts. For my part, I am ready to meet personally with any victim and any victim's family. Real healing can only happen after real reconciliation. I am speaking here more about the spiritual dimension than I am about the psychological dimension. The Diocese has been paying for the counselling of victims and will continue to do so. We will do the same for all of the victims, including those who are not yet known to us. What about the prevention of abuse in the future? The Diocese has had an abuse prevention policy since 1989. It was later revised to reflect the guidelines issued by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1994 called "From Pain to Hope". Today when an allegation of abuse involving a minor is received, the priest is removed from ministry. We immediately contact the Childrens' Aid Society if the victim is under the age of 16 years, as required by law. I intend to ensure that the priest will not return to ministry if the investigation determines that the abuse occurred. My goal is to protect people against abuse. My goal is also to provide a way for dealing with allegations of abuse quickly and effectively. We have learned from experience, and we have learned from science. We are now in a much better position to protect our people than we were before. The abuse of minors has been a scourge in the Diocese of London that must end, and I pledge myself as the Bishop of London to do my utmost to end it. I have appointed Fr. John Sharp to be the vicar general in charge of this particular area. He will be consulting with the people of the Diocese and will be preparing a revised policy to take into account what we have learned over the last few years about how best to deal with complaints and how to protect our people. Please feel free to contact Fr. Sharp at any time. Information about the policy revision process will be posted on the Diocesan website. I have also heard the victims cry out for justice. There will be a measure of justice in the sentence that the Judge will hand down to Fr. Sylvestre for his criminal conduct. But the Church can do more. This conduct over many years warrants Fr. Sylvestre's dismissal as a priest. As the Bishop of the Diocese of London, I will petition Rome for the laicization of Fr. Sylvestre. Some lawsuits have been started, and others may follow. In our society justice is ordinarily seen as monetary compensation paid to the victims for the harm done to them. But we all recognize that money cannot compensate the victims adequately in the Christian vision of justice. True justice also includes reconciliation, and it is my profound hope that the victims and their families will be open to reconciliation. The Diocese of London will work hard to ensure that there is justice for the victims. I know the people of the Diocese of London will respond positively to the needs of the victims. There can be no justification for abuse. There are explanations for the Church's failure to take the appropriate steps in the past to protect victims from abusive priests, but these explanations seem weak, especially with the acute vision given by hindsight. For Catholics, it was once unthinkable that priests would abuse children. This culture of disbelief affected all of the Church from parents on to school teachers, to priests and even to bishops. So in many cases the victims were victimized twice; first by the abuse itself, and then by refusal of others to believe them. Some were made to feel guilty for making an accusation and some believe, even today, years later, that they themselves are at fault for having been abused. There is no room left in the Church for this kind of thinking. It takes great courage for a victim to make an accusation. As a Church, we have benefited from the actions of victims because they have taught us how to protect our people better. It is important for people to understand that what they might consider to be relatively minor abuse can sometimes have devastating consequences. The psychological makeup of each of us is different, so it is wrong to minimize abuse or its consequences. No victim should be made to feel guilty for having disclosed the abuse they suffered. In fact, they are to be commended for doing so. We will continue to welcome victims and encourage those who have not disclosed abuse to do so. As St. Peter says in today's reading, there must be "a lamp shining in a dark place." It is up to us to be that lamp. This is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. One of the most passionate longings of the human heart is for the experience of transfiguration, of becoming something radically new and radically wonderful. This is the promise of our faith. I want this day to be the beginning of a transfiguration for the victims and their families. These are our sisters and brothers in Christ and deserve our support and love. As your Bishop, I pray that the morning star, to which Peter refers, will rise in their hearts and in the hearts of us all.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.