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	Diocese's Sex-abuse Settlement Threatens Catholic Mission By Vincent A. Schiavi News Journa February 5, 2011 http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110205/OPINION07/102050301/1004/OPINION I belong to a group of Delawareans who feel their way of life, their way of worship and their way of educating their children are all under siege. Who are we? The parents, schoolchildren, teachers, administrators, volunteers, alumni and supporters of Catholic schools and congregations of Catholic parishes. We are sinners who seek guidance and forgiveness through our solitary prayers, or with our community through our weekly, or even daily, celebration of Mass. While I do not claim to speak for all practicing Catholics, I believe my thoughts will speak for many. Like many Americans, we are the beneficiaries of the sacrifices of our ancestors. Catholic immigrants from places like Ireland, Italy, Poland and Germany built families, communities and eventually parishes while facing financial hardship and discrimination by those who felt threatened by their arrival. They worked their normal shifts to put food on the table for their families and then contributed their time, talents and treasures to build places of worship and education. We continue to support our parishes, schools and the church's many community outreach programs through weekly offerings, special collections, tuition payments and countless hours of volunteering. Year after year it is a struggle to raise the money necessary to sustain our churches and schools. Now our parishes and schools face the reality of millions of dollars in child-abuse judgments. These expenses cannot be met by existing assets or insurance without the sale of our beloved churches and schools, properties built on the backs and the pocketbooks of our ancestors. We feel an obligation to pass on the use of these properties to future generations. Our ability to do so is now seriously threatened. Few deny that abuses took place and that many lives were ruined. The shame and betrayal we feel will be with us forever. There may not be any amount of financial compensation to victims that is fair. Many Delawareans may be surprised to know that parishioners have no say in the priests assigned to their parishes. Yet congregations are being held responsible for the acts of priests they did not interview, investigate or hire. Outright discrimination against Catholics may be a thing of the past, but subtle discrimination is alive and well. In 2007, Delaware passed the Child Victims Act, removing the statute of limitations for alleged child sexual-abuse civil cases against Delaware nonprofit and private institutions, knowing full well that the Catholic community would face the brunt of its impact. Attempts to add equivalent protection for children abused by employees of state agencies and public schools failed on four occasions to garner the same support among legislators. One can understand legislation designed to indiscriminately protect all victims. It's harder to justify legislation that is so selective in its protection. As a result of the 2007 law, hundreds of victims have come forward. Allegations of abuse as long as 50 years ago are difficult to defend, especially when guilt -- and not innocence -- is presumed. The diocese increased its offer to settle the backlog of cases, and now that the offer has been accepted, it will significantly impair the diocese's ability to support parishes and charities that provide benefits to many individuals and families without regard to their beliefs. To some, no payout is large enough unless the Catholic community is destroyed, building by building, school by school, parish by parish. They dismiss the potential impact of 14,000 more children in our public school system at an average cost of $9,000 each. That's an additional expense of at least $126 million to Delaware taxpayers, without even considering the staggering costs to house those students. Certainly the victims of abuse can be compensated in a way that allows us to honor the years of sacrifice of the faithful who came before us, those among us today and those who wish to carry on the Catholic missions of sacrifice, service and education into the future.
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