Archbishop: Church must do better, help to heal

By Megan Gillis
Ottawa Citizen
May 22, 2016

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/archbishop-church-must-do-better-help-to-heal

Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast. Photo by JULIE OLIVER

The city’s archbishop vows that “we will do better” in tackling sexual abuse in the church.

Archbishop Terrence Prendergast makes the comment in a column in the Ottawa Sun, in the wake of a Postmedia series about historic abuse by local Catholic clergy published last week.

Prendergast calls the articles “shocking” despite containing “not many surprises,” the impact coming from “seeing all the details displayed in one place.”

“They laid out the enormity of the evil committed and the need for ongoing healing,” Prendergast wrote, later adding that “the situation in which we find ourselves humbles us all, making us feel raw in our exposure to public vilification and scorn.

“Still, the ties of communion among us Catholics will help us in this moment of testing. God is inviting us to come to grips with our sinfulness so that we can strive together towards a better future.”

A Postmedia analysis of court records, newspaper files and Sylvia’s Site, which is devoted to tracking the sex abuse scandal in Canada, revealed that a total of 11 Ottawa priests were connected to sexual abuse through criminal and civil actions. It includes three previously unreported cases.

There are at least 41 acknowledged local victims but that represents only cases with paper trails. The Archdiocese of Ottawa declined to produce its own accounting of those harmed.

Recently filed court documents show that it has settled seven of 12 sexual abuse lawsuits filed since 2011 and paid nearly $600,000 in compensation to victims abused by priests between 1958 and 1985. Five other claimants are seeking $7.4 million.

In several cases investigated by Postmedia, there are allegations that other priests and even former archbishops were told of the abuse at the time.

Seeking comment, Postmedia sent an 11-point memo to the Archdiocese of Ottawa about the series but a spokesman said it “prefers not to comment at this time.”

Now Prendergast, who was installed as archbishop in 2007 and oversees more than 100 parishes, said in his column that it is an opportunity for him as leader of the local Catholic community to reassure people.

“The procedures for handling these offences in place today are not what they were in the past,” he wrote. “We have learned from errors in the past and are constantly striving to improve how to create safe environments for all.”

Prendergast wrote that he is asked how the church’s priests are feeling and that they had the opportunity at an event Thursday to share their experiences.

Like their flock, priests’ reactions are mixed, Prendergast wrote, with “some feeling great sadness, others shame, many a wounded sense of déjà vu.”

All have agreed to follow the Code of Pastoral Conduct issued last fall, while the archdiocese commits to making sure safety protocols work and are being followed, according to the archbishop.

The church has learned from past failures — Prendergast called them “sins against the innocent” — but can’t undo them.

“Regrettably, all we can do at this moment is hang our heads in shame at the past and commit ourselves to making the necessary changes to improve, raising our hands to help wherever we can,” he wrote.

“Past mistakes in handling errant priests cannot be undone, but we can and do wish to do better in the future and to heal.”