Catholics Still Not Confident on Abuse Reporting

By Joanne Fox
Catholic Globe
November 20, 2014

http://www.catholicglobe.org/?p=775

For three and a half years, members of several U.S. bishops’ committees have been trying to pinpoint what Catholics in the pew are thinking and why they accept or reject church teachings.

To this end, they have conducted multiple surveys and interviews of various groups of Catholics: fervent believers, Latinos, singles, parents, priests and church leaders. Although responses have varied, Bishop Walker Nickless was astonished to learn the faithful are still not satisfied that priestly misconduct among children has been addressed adequately.

“That really surprised me,” he said. “I thought we were doing a good job in our Safe Environment practices, but apparently, that is not the case.”

Bishop Nickless is one of only 26 U.S. bishops who have authorized auditors from StoneBridge Business Partners – the business firm the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has chosen to perform safe environment audits – to visit Sioux City diocesan parishes and schools and insure compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (Dallas Charter). The auditors were in the Diocese of Sioux City Oct. 28-30.

Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, introduced the survey findings to the bishops Nov. 11 during their annual fall assembly in Baltimore.

Miami Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, presented a snapshot of the findings and said they reveal both challenges and opportunities for church leaders.

Among the challenges evident in the responses was that many Catholics experience a disconnect between the teachings of the church and teachings of Jesus. They also expressed how the clergy sex abuse scandal impacted the church and felt that not enough had been done to rectify it.

“Clearly, we need to do a better job in explaining everything we are doing to make sure children are never put at risk again,” Bishop Nickless said. “I think the findings clearly show a lack of trust between the faithful and the bishops on this issue and that cannot continue.”

Bishop Richard J. Malone of Buffalo, New York, who is chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, told the bishops that the research was “enlightening and sobering.” He acknowledged that it was “a lot to unpack and unfold” but urged the bishops to be “encouraged, not discouraged” by it.

Carol Zimmermann of Catholic News Service contributed to this article.

Contact: joannef@scdiocese.org