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	Local Catholics Focus on Holy Week, Not Abuses By Encarnacion Pyle Columbus Dispatch April 01, 2010 http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/04/01/catholics-focus-on-holy-week-not-abuses.html?sid=101 OHIO -- Many central Ohio Catholics seemed more focused yesterday on Good Friday, Easter and other Holy Week activities than on claims of sexual abuse by priests that continue to erupt throughout Europe. "Americans walked this difficult journey eight years ago," said Deacon Tom Berg Jr., vice chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus, referring to a similar scandal that rocked the United States and resulted in policies to curb abuse by clerics. "Our focus this week is on the death, resurrection and salvation of Jesus Christ, and (the same is true for) most of our parishioners." Many people interviewed yesterday said they are disturbed by sexual-abuse reports coming out of Germany, Ireland and several other European countries but feel disconnected from those claims. "I read about it when the first reports came out of Germany in January, but I haven't really paid that much attention," said Adam Fletcher, 24, of German Village. "Any abuse is awful, of course, but it seems so far away." Jeffrey Morris, 47, of Hilliard, defended the pope against accusations that he mishandled abuse cases in Germany when he was archbishop of Munich and while he was the head of the Vatican office responsible for disciplining priests. "He is being crucified on the cross - just like Christ," Morris said after Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral Downtown. "He has taken a stance against abuse and met with victims." Robert Hopkins, 38, of the North Side, thinks the Vatican should deal with the accusations head on and hold abusing priests accountable. "There have been thousands of documented cases, which seems to indicate a widespread problem. Anyone found guilty should be thrown out of the priesthood, and the Catholic Church has to do more to protect children from being preyed on," Hopkins said. Bishops around Europe are using Holy Week's solemn call for penitence to announce new pledges of transparency in dealing with the abuse of children, the Associated Press said. Berg said the sex-abuse scandal in the United States resulted in the biggest child-protection effort he's ever seen. He said the Columbus diocese created a child-protection plan and review board to investigate sex-abuse claims. The diocese also started requiring training, fingerprinting and background checks of anyone who works with children. "We made a promise eight years ago to do everything we could, and we're keeping that promise," Berg said. "There have not been any new accusations of abuses in our diocese since we created the review board." U.S. dioceses and religious orders spent more than $436 million in 2008 on settlements and other costs related to sexual-abuse by clergy, according to a report by the U.S. Catholic bishops. But that was a decrease of 29 percent from the peak year of 2007. A majority of the new allegations were related to incidents from the 1960s and '70s, the report found. Several local religious leaders said it's understandable that most parishioners are caught up in Holy Week festivities. "Holy Week is a very important week for us," said the Rev. Kevin Kavanaugh of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Clintonville. "It is a time of prayerful celebration." Contact: epyle@dispatch.com
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