Wall apologizes for abuse ‘sin’ and ‘evil’ By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola Gallup Independent correspondent religion@gallupindependent.com August 27, 2018 GALLUP — Bishop James S. Wall of the Diocese of Gallup has added his voice to the chorus of U.S. Catholic bishops offering public statements of apology over the ongoing revelations of clergy sex abuse. Officials with the Gallup Diocese released Wall’s statement Wednesday. It follows similar statements from bishops across the country after Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston- Houston, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement Aug. 16, promising to address the “moral catastrophe” of sexual abuse and misconduct within the Catholic Church. ‘I have felt anger’ “I write to you today with a deep sense of sadness,” Wall said. “I have felt anger, as you have, first regarding the allegations of years of abusive behavior by Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, followed soon after by the devastating report by the Pennsylvania Grand Jury.” Wall was referring to numerous abuse allegations against Cardinal McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington. In late July, Pope Francis accepted McCarrick’s resignation from the College of Cardinals after allegations surfaced that McCarrick sexually abused minors and adult seminary students. On Aug. 14, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro released an exhaustive report after conducting a two-year grand jury investigation into widespread sexual abuse of children within six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania, as well as the systemic cover up by church officials in Pennsylvania and the Vatican. In response, more than 5,000 Catholics thus far have signed an online petition calling “Catholic bishops of the United States to prayerfully and genuinely consider submitting to Pope Francis their collective resignation as a public act of repentance and lamentation before God and God’s People.” Sin and evil In his letter, entitled, “There is no place in the Church for ignoring sin,” Wall framed the sexual abuse of children as a sin and evil, but did not use the words crime or criminal. “We must recognize, in no uncertain terms, that the actions of abusive clerics and the bishops who sheltered them are not merely shameful, but evil,” Wall said. “This is the face of sin, allowed to fester for years, and in far too many cases, these acts of evil were committed against children, the most vulnerable and defenseless among us.” Wall acknowledged when U.S. bishops approved the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002, the document did not include provisions for handling allegations of abuse or mismanagement by bishops and cardinals. “We still have much work to do, especially we bishops, who are called to act as your shepherds but have, in many cases, allowed the wolves to run ram pant among our flocks,” Wall said. Wall offered support for Di Nardo’s plan to address abuse at all levels of the Catholic Church. According to DiNardo, three goals include an investigation into the questions surrounding McCarrick, an opening of new and confidential channels for reporting complaints against bishops, and advocacy for more effective resolution of future complaints. “The overarching goal in all of this is stronger protections against predators in the Church and anyone who would conceal them, protections that will hold bishops to the highest standards of transparency and account ability,” DiNardo said. Reparations for abuse In Wall’s letter, he asserted the Diocese of Gallup holds to “rigorous standards of training and reporting of any allegations of abuse.” Wall urged any victims of abuse to contact law enforcement immediately, and he provided the phone number of Elizabeth Terrill, the diocese's victims’ assistance coordinator: 505-906-7357. Wall also included an online link to a one-page list of local law enforcement phone numbers. Although the list includes many tribal police department numbers, it doesn’t include sheriff department numbers in Arizona or New Mexico or police department numbers for many communities within the Diocese of Gallup territory. Wall concluded his letter about the clergy sexual abuse scandal with an odd reference to Pope Paul VI’s encyclical, Humanae Vitae, which was published 50 years ago and reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s teaching about sex in marriage and the rejection of most forms of artificial contraception. “We the bishops, clergy, consecrated religious and laity – must strive anew to embrace the standards outlined in Humanae Vitae,” Wall wrote. “We must remember the beauty of human sexuality, that the sexual act is reserved for marriage between one man and one woman freely giving of themselves to each other and always open to the gift of life.” ‘Healing, justice and peace’ Wall also announced Masses in the diocese will regularly be offered in “reparation for the sins of abuse” by Catholic clergy. “To remind us of our call to holiness, of the call to reject complacency and silence, I would like to ask each priest of the Diocese of Gallup beginning in September to offer and dedicate one Mass publicly, once a month, in reparation for the sins of abuse by cardinals, bishops, priests and deacons,” Wall said. The bishop asked for prayers for himself, Gallup priests and survivors of abuse. “Please also especially pray for survivors of abuse those in our own Diocese, in America, and throughout the world that they find healing, justice and peace,” he said.

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