UNITED STATES
Bilgrimage
As a new work week begins, more outstanding commentary from Jerry Slevin about the challenges that the Philadelphia archdiocesan trial poses to the Catholic hierarchy, and lessons the U.S. bishops might take away from that trial, as they convene in Atlanta this week for their semi-annual meeting. As always, Jerry speaks out of years of experience as a highly effective and well-trained Harvard-educated attorney. The following is Jerry’s text:
BACKGROUND ON CHALLENGES
2002—Shocking Boston Revelations:
Ten years ago, the Boston Globe shocked millions of American Catholics. Its investigation revealed widespread sexual abuse over decades of numerous defenseless Boston children by many predatory priests. The Globe found that known rapist priests often had been protected and reassigned by Cardinal Law. The Cardinal then fled to the welcoming comfort of a Vatican villa, shielded from prosecution by purported Vatican immunity.
An outraged American public pressured U.S. Bishops in 2002 to accept a voluntary child protection program, including a Charter for the Protection of Children (Charter). The Charter was adopted, after changes resulting from Vatican pressure to water it down, by the overall national organization, the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (the “USCCB” or the “U.S. Bishops”) for implementation by individual bishops as they saw fit. The Charter, however, continued to leave the critical management of predatory priests, and the essential reporting of child sex abuse abuse claims involving priests, up to the unaccountable discretion of individual bishops mainly.
This week, the U.S. Bishops will, under likely close papal oversight, review in Atlanta at their semi-annual meeting the Charter’s effectiveness over the past decade. The U.S. Bishops are expected to adopt changes in light of the Charter’s ten-year very mixed record, including in Philadelphia.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.