BishopAccountability.org
	Saginaw Diocese to Welcome New Bishop By Terry Camp ABC 12 June 4, 2009 http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=6848711 [with video] Joseph Cistone will take over for Robert Carlson SAGINAW (WJRT) -- (06/04/09)--The Catholic Diocese of Saginaw is continuing preparations in welcoming its new bishop. Bishop Joseph Cistone was selected by the Vatican to replace Robert Carlson, who will become the Archbishop of St. Louis. Cistone's installation will take place in July. One issue that Cistone has experience in dealing with is the sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church. Cistone had a role in a grand jury investigation involving the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. That grand jury report came out in 2005, but when he was chosen to lead the Saginaw Diocese, Cistone expected he would be getting some questions about the investigation. The grand jury investigation is laid out in a report. In it are the stories of alleged child sexual abuse committed by 63 priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The report also describes how church leaders reportedly tried to cover up the abuse. One of those church leaders the grand jury report is critical of is Cistone. "I think the church in general and I think society in general has had made mistakes in this regard," he said. But as he prepares for his new life in Saginaw, Cistone says doesn't agree with the portion of the report's findings that he was complicit in covering up certain cases. In one example, the report implies he attempted to keep a nun from speaking out about alleged abuse, an accusation he doesn't agree with. Cistone says he bristles at the suggestion that he enabled the abuse. "There was nothing consciously on our part to put children in situations where they could be harmed, so it is something that is a word that is placed in the newspapers," he said. "It is painful for me." Cistone says the allegations of abuse dated back to the 1960s, and the church relied on advice from professionals in the fields of medicine and psychology in how to handle what the victims were saying. "It has raised our level of consciousness to appreciate the position of the victims," Cistone said. "And I guess if there is something I have learned, it is to have a more sensitive heart and understanding of victims in these circumstances." Cistone says he is proud of the programs that have been put in place in Philadelphia for victims of abuse. He also says he would be well qualified in dealing with the issue when he arrives at his new home in Michigan. "It's my hope that the people of Saginaw, that they are getting a bishop who has been through this experience, that they are getting a bishop who understands this issue very clearly," he said. "(I would hope) they will feel very safe in the efforts that I would take to ensure that no child is abused in the future, and not tolerate it in any way." It should be noted that there were no criminal charges that came out of the grand jury report. The Saginaw Diocese says it believes Cistone is a leading advocate for the protection of children and the transparent accountability of the church. You can read the entire grand jury report from the Philadelphia District Attorney's office by clicking here.
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