SEATTLE (WA)
Seattle Times [Seattle WA]
September 13, 2024
By Helen McClenahan
Special to The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times’ July 28 editorial, “Survivors of abuse by Catholic clergy deserve transparency, closure,” implied that the Archdiocese of Seattle does not understand the needs of victim-survivors and that it is shirking its responsibility to them. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Since the mid-1980s, before any requirements were in place, the Archdiocese has worked with a group of independent, community-based experts on survivors and offenders to improve the response to victims and implement a comprehensive Safe Environment program to prevent sexual abuse.
Since 2002, the independent Review Board has met regularly, with the serving archbishop also in attendance. Each of the archbishops since 2002 has supported an expanded role for the board that also encompasses review of allegations of sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults by clergy, employees and volunteers.
We know from survivors that their definition of justice and their recovery needs vary. Some survivors simply need to share their story. Others may need counseling (which the Archdiocese funds) or a meeting with the archbishop (which the Archdiocese facilitates) or pastoral care (which the Archdiocese provides). Some wish to move forward with their lives without publicly reliving their traumatic experiences. The Archdiocese of Seattle also recognizes that apologies and prayers, while important, are not enough to assure survivors and the Catholic community that our commitment to accountability and prevention remains a critical priority.
Archbishop Paul D. Etienne’s commitment is sincere. In a recent letter, he emphasized the tragic and heartbreaking history of sexual abuse, the need for accountability and his ongoing commitment to ensuring that “these crimes and sins are not repeated so that we can restore wholeness and holiness to our Church.” He continued writing, “We want abusers to be held accountable and we wish to dispel the fear that clergy sexual abuse is rampant today, because it is not.”
As a result of the many ongoing efforts, reports of clergy sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Seattle have nearly disappeared over the last several decades. In fact, incidents of abuse peaked 49 years ago with 99% of reported incidents having occurred prior to 1995.
Understanding that transparency is important for prevention and healing, the Archdiocese, with input from the independent review board, publicized a list of credibly accused clergy in 2016 and has updated it as facts emerge. In 2018, we launched a website, protect-seattlearchdiocese.org, to transparently provide information about this issue locally, as well as the Archdiocese’s prevention and education efforts.
To date, the Archdiocese of Seattle has settled more than 470 claims and paid more than $100 million to compensate victim survivors. We report all allegations to law enforcement and cooperate with their investigations, in addition to conducting our own. We also remove people from ministry when a claim is credible.
Some see our recent legal objections to the attorney general’s subpoena for donation records as the Archdiocese seeking to be less than transparent — the opposite is true. The truth is the Archdiocese offered repeatedly to cooperate with a legal investigation that, at a minimum, is focused and considers the privacy of victim survivors and their families.
We dedicate ourselves to this ministry of healing and transparency and to the continued work of prevention to ensure these crimes are never repeated. The Archdiocese of Seattle has accepted accountability and continues to seek healing for victim survivors and all those impacted.
Helen McClenahan is chief communication officer for the Archdiocese of Seattle.