BishopAccountability.org
	The Church Waits for Answer from Presiding Bishop Episcopal Cafe July 1, 2011 http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/presiding_bishop/the_church_waits_for_answer_fr_1.html Questions remain unanswered surrounding the Presiding Bishop's knowledge of the sexual-abuse history of a Catholic priest she made an Episcopal priest while bishop of Nevada. Her office refers questions to the Diocese of Nevada. The Bishop of Nevada has issued this statement: A lawsuit was filed last week against a monastery in Missouri where Fr. Bede Parry, who has served All Saints for 11 years as organist and assisting priest, was a monk in another denomination in the 1980s. The suit alleges that Fr. Bede engaged in inappropriate relationships with youth in their late teens. In response to these allegations, Fr. Bede has resigned from his duties at All Saints and tendered to me his resignation as a priest. To keep this matter in perspective, it is important to remember: He is not accused of any misconduct in Nevada, in the Episcopal Church, or in any context since the 1980’s. The legal action is not a criminal prosecution but a civil suit for money damages. All Saints, the Diocese of Nevada, and even Fr. Bede are not parties to the law suit. However, this situation is a reminder of the critical importance of our Safe Guarding God’s Children standards. It is essential for all of our people who work with children to receive Safe Guarding training on a regular basis and that vestries, clergy, and all church leaders insure that appropriate standards are in place – for example, minors should not be in the presence of only one adult at any time; doors should have windows in them; church members should be on the lookout for abuse symptoms in minors or suspicious behavior in adults. The purpose of these precautions is not so much to protect the church from liability as to protect the children from harm. Caring for the safety and well being of our children is a moral obligation of the utmost importance. The fact that there were no boundary violations at All Saints is a sign that the Safeguarding God’s Children standards have been effective. But the safety of our people, young and old, remains a matter of grave concern calling of constant vigilance. We ask your prayers for all who are involved in the law suit and those whose lives have been affected by the events surrounding it. The questions arise from a petition filed against a Catholic monastery; it makes no legal charges against the Presiding Bishop. All claims of sexual abuse arise while the man was still a Catholic priest. The petition is now available here (PDF). The part concerning the Episcopal Church is in the background facts of the petition: 28. In 2000, Fr. Parry underwent psychological testing relating to the possibility of entering another monastery. The results of this testing revealed that Fr. Pany was a sexual abuser who had the proclivity to reoffend with minors. The results of this testing were provided to the Abbey, the Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas and the Episcopal Bishop for the Diocese of Nevada. (ed. bold) 29. From 2000 through 2011, Fr. Parry has been and continues to be employed by All Saints' Episcopal Church in Las Vegas, Nevada. Questions that need answers: Is it true, as the petition states, that Parry's evaluation showed he had proclivities, and this evaluation was provided to the Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Nevada? What process is in place to hear from those who may have been abused since Parry became an Episcopal priest? How did All Saints monitor Parry? How did the rest of community receive protection? Did the church know there was an admitted child abuser in their midst? Did the community around the church know? How did the diocese protect the vulnerable? See more questions in the comments on the Nevada statement at the website. We await a statement from the Presiding Bishop.
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