Quad-City Times [Davenport IA]
September 20, 2006
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2006/09/20/opinion/opinion/doc45106c53c9733183088660.txt
Judgment came slowly but surely to the Davenport Diocese. A Scott County jury on Monday awarded $1.5 million to a victim of repeated sexual abuse by a priest four decades ago.
Davenport Diocese Deacon David Montgomery said the verdict may portend bankruptcy for the diocese. "The decision of the jury will impact every member of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Davenport."
Deacon Montgomery understated both the impact and the cause. The judgment against our community's Catholic diocese will affect every Quad-Citian, Catholic or not. But the jury can't be blamed for this staggering impact. Those deceased and retired priests who perpetrated these unreported crimes can't be solely blamed. The jury held the diocese responsible for systematically ignoring abuse allegations, protecting the perpetrator and enabling him to find new victims.
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Priests from the Philadelphia Archdiocese summoned by their cardinal last Friday react to personal accounts of two adults recounting childhood abuse by priests. Photo by The Associated Press |
Had the diocese responded differently three decades ago — or even five years ago — this lawsuit might not ever have been filed.
A careful study of the allegations against this diocese confirm that sexual abuse by priests was the rare exception. A Web site created for the victims of this abuse, www.bishop-accountability.org, details public sexual abuse allegations against 14 of literally hundreds of priests associated with the Davenport diocese over the past four decades. It only appears pervasive because some perpetrators were protected by the diocese.
The diocese already paid $9 million to settle 37 abuse claims involving one priest, James Janssen, who left a trail of victims from parish to parish.
Cover-ups delay healing
While the most serious allegations involve abuse believed to have ended long ago, victims remain outraged that alleged perpetrators were allowed to remain active within the church. Those past decisions undermine the diocese's current efforts to finally deal squarely and publicly with sexual abuse. The church instituted training and mandatory reporting for all clergy and lay leaders who work with youth. After years of stonewalling, the diocese through Bishop William Franklin has issued sincere, deep and repeated apologies for the years of abuse and cover-ups.
"Prior bishops are no longer living to explain their decisions," he said in 2004. "All I know for certain is that, in fact, we failed to protect children from harm."
Victims have made clear that such a response a decade ago would have expedited the healing and diminished the litigation. Some families have said they filed suit only after the diocese turned a cold shoulder to victims' pleas for help.
We fear Deacon Montgomery underestimated the impact of these judgments. The work of parishioners, clergy, educators and social activists within the Davenport Diocese continues to benefit every Quad-Citian, regardless of faith: A strong network of schools; generous charitable giving; tens of thousands of Quad-Citians whose community commitment is powered by their strong Catholic faith. Inspired by faith, they volunteer, coach and mentor outside of the church because of tenets of faith learned within church.
That work will be blunted, not by a jury verdict, but by what that verdict affirms: Patterns of secrecy that facilitated what might have been isolated instances of sexual abuse by a veritable handful of clergy.
Looking for answers
Find a summary of allegations against Davenport Diocese priests at www.bishop-accountability.org/ ia-davenport/.
Diocese statement:
"The Diocese of Davenport is deeply saddened and disappointed with the finding of the jury against the Diocese. The Diocese believes that the evidence overwhelmingly showed that the Diocese had no knowledge of any abuse perpetrated by Monsignor Thomas Feeney over 40 years ago and that the statute of limitations should apply. The decision of the jury will impact every member of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Davenport.
"Because of the passage of so many years, the Diocese has limited evidence of insurance to pay this judgment. The Corporate Board and Finance Council of the Diocese will be meeting soon to make critical decisions about the future of the Diocese. Bankruptcy must now also be considered. Until the Corporate Board and Finance Council of the Diocese have addressed these matters, no further comment will be made."
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