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	Bishop Says Revised Norms Expand Ways Church Responds to Sex Abuse Catholic Transcript July 15, 2010 http://www.catholictranscript.org/component/content/article/1-latest/1521-bishop-says-revised-norms-expand-ways-church-responds-to-sex-abuse.html Bishop says revised norms expand ways Church responds to sex abuse WASHINGTON (CNS) – The revised procedures governing the handling of clerical sexual abuse cases give Church officials stronger tools for aiding victims and for disciplining wayward priests, said the chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People. Bishop Blase J. Cupich said bishops around the world have definitive rules for handling abuse cases and other serious violations of Church law under the procedures, known as norms in Church parlance. "The new norms go beyond the 'Essential Norms' (adopted in 2002 by the U.S. bishops). They include other aspects of the crime of sexual abuse, for instance vulnerable adults and pornography. They also allow for the quick adjudication of these cases," Bishop Cupich said during a conference call with reporters at the headquarters of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The changes have been in the works for months and were approved by Pope Benedict XVI May 21. They formalize many existing Church practices involving clergy sexual abuse while raising the seriousness of offenses by clergy who use child pornography as well as those accused of abusing adults with physical or mental disabilities. Other changes announced by the Vatican upgrade the seriousness of offenses related to the attempted ordination of women and the recording of confessions. They confirm that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith can judge cardinals, patriarchs and bishops accused of "more grave crimes." Qualified lay Catholics also are permitted to serve on tribunals that deal with sex abuse cases. The changes do not lessen the requirement that Church officials work with law enforcement to report cases of abuse and the use of child pornography, said Bishop Cupich, head of the Diocese of Rapid City, S.D., who will be installed as bishop of Spokane, Wash., Sept. 3. "This document has to be taken in consideration with the other documents that have already released ... on the website for the Holy See, which calls for cooperation with civil officials. Since the time of St. Paul, Christians are called to obey the civil law. That really is fundamental here in regards to abuse. They must act in a way that is best for victims and the Church," he said. Bishop Cupich also said it is likely that more abuse victims will come forward "from the past" because the revised norms include a provision extending the statute of limitations from 10 to 20 years after a sex abuse victim's 18th birthday. "We would hope, in fact, that the occasion of the release of this document will be another opportunity for any victim to come forward for healing, for justice in the life of the Church," he said. "The publicity has to be aimed at inviting victims to come forward for healing." Before taking questions from reporters, Bishop Cupich read a prepared statement in which he said the revisions indicate that the Church views child sexual abuse as a serious offense. "By putting child sexual abuse by clergy in the same context as the safeguarding of the sacraments, the Church is making it clear that such misconduct violates the core values of our faith and worship," he said. The announcement was welcomed by various observers, who said the revisions formalize practices already followed by the Church. They said the revisions will help the Church in handling allegations of abuse and other serious violations of canon law. "It's a natural development," said Mercy Sister Sharon Euart, executive coordinator of the Canon Law Society of America in Washington. "When the norms were first promulgated in 2001, it was clear they would have to be revised and considered over time. "This is ... consistent with the seriousness with which the (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) takes the implementation of these norms," she added. Diane M. Knight, who chairs the National Review Board, which oversees the U.S. bishops' compliance with the national sexual abuse and child protection policies they adopted in June 2002, called the revisions "a big step forward." "Here in the U.S., the bishops had the 'Essential Norms' to guide them," she told Catholic News Service from Milwaukee. "But there was not that kind of clarity for other bishops around the world. "This shows that child sexual abuse is a major crime under Church law as well as civil laws," she said. David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, described the revisions as "a tiny step closer to action" against abusive priests on the part of the Church. "It's really just another in a long series of promises by Church officials in writing this time, rather than just verbal that are rarely kept," he said in a statement. "Even if these guidelines are uniformly followed (and history proves they likely won't be), little will change and few will be protected." He repeated the organization's long-standing call for the Church to drop what it considers a cloak of secrecy on proceedings involving allegations of abuse and to implement policies that will force bishops to immediately remove all priests accused of abuse from ministry. The Swiss Bishops' Conference, which toughened its guidelines on clergy sexual abuse in June, said in a statement that the Vatican's stance backed its own position. "Sexual violence is a crime, and sexual violence against children is a particularly heinous crime. It must have no place in the Church," the statement said.
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