Pope Appears to Praise Bishops" Response to Abuse

By Abbott Koloff
The Record
September 24, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/news/nation/pope-appears-to-praise-bishops-response-to-abuse-1.1417398

Pope Francis' brief reference Wednesday to clerical sex abuse left advocates for victims wanting him to go further in the coming days, and expressing confusion by what appeared to be the pope's praise for the way American bishops handled the matter.

The pope, on the first day of his visit to the United States, did not directly address the sex abuse issue but was widely believed to be making a reference to it when he told bishops they have shown "courage" in the face of "difficult moments in the recent history of the church in this country."

He said he has supported their "generous commitment to bring healing to victims - in the knowledge that in healing we too are healed - and to ensure that such crimes will never be repeated."

Some victims' advocates said they expected the pope to make a statement about clerical sex abuse this week, and were hoping he would focus on bishops who covered up crimes. The pope has discussed setting up a tribunal in Rome to punish bishops who are found guilty of negligence in sex abuse cases, a move that would be unprecedented in the church.

Mark Crawford, the director of the New Jersey chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said he was disappointed by the pope's first words on the subject during his visit and surprised by his use of the term "courage."

"That kind of befuddled me," Crawford said, adding that he hoped the pope would make more forceful comments about bishops later this week. "I am disappointed he didn't go further."

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops pledged in 2002 to oust clerics after one credible child sex abuse allegation. But victims' advocates say the church has done little about allegations against bishops who knew about abuse but looked the other way. Some bishops have resigned, they say, but the church has not announced punishments for them.

"Nobody's been fired," said Mark Serrano, who was among more than a dozen people who said they were abused by a Paterson Diocese priest in Mendham years ago. The priest, James Hanley, has admitted to molesting at least a dozen children and has been defrocked. Serrano said the pope has a "great opportunity" to take actions against bishops while he's in the United States. "He knows the bad guys and what should be done about them."

Joe Maher, co-founder of the Detroit-based Opus Bono, which offers support for priests accused of abuse, said that bishops are now "quick to act" on allegations of sexual abuse and that rules set up in 2002 to safeguard children "are working."

He added: "You can clearly see Pope Francis has taken initiatives and bishops are doing what they are supposed to do."

But others said the pope missed an opportunity to reach out to victims on Wednesday.

Dennis Coday, editor of the National Catholic Reporter, wrote that Francis' statements were "sadly disappointing" and that his praise of bishops for courage "before acknowledging the pain of the victims, would raise the charges of 'he just doesn't get it.'x"

The national director of SNAP, David Clohessy, said that while Francis has demonstrated boldness on many issues, he has been "more of the same, though couched in kinder terms" on the issue of sex abuse, with few tangible actions.

Email: koloff@northjersey.com