Posts Tagged coverup
The truth we can handle. It is the endless cover-up we must no longer abide. (The Boston Globe)
It is often said that for the Roman Catholic Church, rapid change can take decades. But who knew that law enforcement officials with subpoena power could be equally slow in recognizing their responsibility to bring into full light the hideous crimes by the church that have laid waste to the lives of tens of thousands of children?
“Sixteen years later — too much later — it is now time for a full and final reckoning. In the wake of the Pennsylvania grand jury report, prosecutors in every state should finally find the backbone to force the church to tell the truth. The truth we can handle. It is the endless cover-up we must no longer abide.
“Until recently, few could have credibly argued — as some are now trying — that Pope Francis and his point man on the sexual abuse scandal, Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, should resign. They were, after all, the two men in the Vatican who seemed committed to cauterizing the wounds from a scandal that spools endlessly along. But in light of recent allegations about how, or whether, they dealt with the serial sexual misdeeds of Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, their reputations, if not their jobs, are in jeopardy.”
By Walter V. Robinson, The Boston Globe — Read more …
accountability, catholic bishop accountability, catholic church, Catholic Church reform, clergy sexual abuse scandal, clericalism, coverup, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, The Boston Globe, vatican, voice of the faithful, Walter V. Robinson
“Intimidation, fear, and the misuse of authority created an environment that was taken advantage of by clerics, including bishops, causing harm to minors, seminarians, and those most vulnerable,” the National Review Board said. (National Catholic Reporter)
More committees are not the answer to stop the abuse of children and vulnerable adults by clergy, said an Aug. 28 statement by the National Review Board, which is charged with addressing clerical sexual misconduct in the Catholic Church.
“‘What needs to happen is a genuine change in the church’s culture, specifically among the bishops themselves,’ the board said. ‘This evil has resulted from a loss of moral leadership and an abuse of power that led to a culture of silence that enabled these incidents to occur.
“‘Intimidation, fear, and the misuse of authority created an environment that was taken advantage of by clerics, including bishops, causing harm to minors, seminarians, and those most vulnerable,’ the NRB said. ‘The culture of silence enabled the abuse to go on virtually unchecked. Trust was betrayed for the victims/survivors of the abuse; the entire body of Christ was betrayed in turn by these crimes and the failure to act.’
“The purpose of the NRB, established in 2002 as part of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, is to work collaboratively with the U.S. bishops’ Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People in preventing the sexual abuse of minors in the United States by persons in the service of the church.”
By Mark Pattison, National Catholic Reporter — Read more …
accountability, catholic bishop accountability, catholic church, Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, church culture, clergy sexual abuse scandal, clericalism, coverup, Mark Pattison, national catholic reporter, National Review Board, Pope Francis, transparency, vatican, voice of the faithful
Over this past weekend, former U.S. papal nuncio Archbishop Carlo Vigano published a letter claiming that Pope Francis and other high-ranking officials in the Catholic Church had covered up, among other things, former cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s sexual abuse of seminarians and a homosexual “network” of clerics. News media quickly reported that key facts in Vigano’s letter were not accurate. We want to make sure you are aware of both sides of the story, so take advantage of the links below:
accountability, Archbishop Carlo Vigano, catholic bishop accountability, catholic church, clergy sexual abuse scandal, coverup, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, vatican, voice of the faithful
Its (Archbishop Carlo Vigano’s letter) unsubstantiated allegations and personal attacks amounted to an extraordinary public declaration of war against Francis’ papacy … (The New York Times)
On the final day of Pope Francis’ mission to Ireland, as he issued wrenching apologies for clerical sex abuse scandals, a former top Vatican diplomat claimed in a letter published on Sunday (Aug. 25) that the pope himself had joined top Vatican officials in covering up the abuses and called for his resignation.
“The letter, a bombshell written by Carlo Maria Viganò, the former top Vatican diplomat in the United States and a staunch critic of the pope’s, seemed timed to do more than simply derail Francis’ uphill efforts to win back the Irish faithful, who have turned away from the church in large numbers.
“Its unsubstantiated allegations and personal attacks amounted to an extraordinary public declaration of war against Francis’ papacy at perhaps its most vulnerable moment, intended to unseat a pope whose predecessor, Benedict XVI, was the first pontiff to resign in nearly 600 years.
“Archbishop Viganò claimed that the Vatican hierarchy was complicit in covering up accusations that Cardinal Theodore McCarrick had sexually abused seminarians and that Pope Francis knew about the abuses by the now-disgraced American prelate years before they became public. Yet, the letter contended, Francis did not punish the cardinal, but instead empowered him to help choose powerful American bishops.
By Jason Horowitz, The New York Times — Read more …
accountability, Archbishop Carlo Vigano, catholic bishop accountability, catholic bishops, catholic church, catholic hierarchy, child sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse scandal, coverup, Jason Horowitz, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, The New York Times, vatican, voice of the faithful
“It’s heartening that finally after all these years, and we hope it’s more than just verbiage, that the very things that the bishops attacked us for saying, they’re saying it now,” she (Donna Doucette, Voice of the Faithful Executive Director) added. (Catholic News Service)
An independent lay-run board that would hold bishops accountable for their actions, a national day for Mass or prayers of reparation, and encouragement to parishioners to become more involved in their diocese are among steps suggested by prominent lay Catholics to right the U.S. church as it deals with a new clergy sexual abuse scandal.
“Those contacted by Catholic News Service said that it was time for laypeople to boost their profile within the church and help begin to dismantle long-standing clericalism that has sought to preserve the reputation of offending clergy at the expense of the safety of children.
”Their credibility is gone and the trust of the faithful is gone,’ Francesco Cesareo, chairman of the National Review Board, said of the U.S. bishops as they worked to develop steps to promote greater accountability on abuse …
Cesareo was not alone in calling for a separate body to be established to handle accusations of abuse involving bishops. While details varied, the basic premise envisions that such a board would review abuse allegations or complaints of improper handling of an abuse claim by any bishop.
Just such a body has been sought since 2002, when the abuse scandal arose in the Archdiocese of Boston, by the church reform group Voice of the Faithful, said Donna Doucette, executive director.
By Dennis Sadowsky, Catholic News Service — Read more …
accountability, catholic bishop accountability, catholic bishops, catholic church, catholic hierarchy, Catholic News Service, Catholics, child sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse scandal, clericalism, coverup, Dennis Sadowsky, Donna Doucette, Francesco Cesareo, laity, lay people, National Review Board, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, transparency, U.S. bishops, voice of the faithful
You can do a lot!
With the present heightened scrutiny of Catholic clergy sexual abuse and coverup, we have been receiving many calls at the VOTF office asking us what can be done. No baptized Catholic need ever feel helpless in the face of this ongoing scandal that has wounded so deeply the entire body of Christ. Our brief advice is this:
- Click here to visit VOTF’s website and look under the PROGRAMS menu button at the top of the homepage. You will find a wealth of information and activities there — everything from combating clericalism, to using Broken Vessel™ Healing circles to help heal those harmed by clergy abuse, to saying prayers to help you through this crisis. After all, we have been at this so long that even bishops now use words like accountability that we made popular.
- Click here to register for Voice of the Faithful’s 2018 Conference: Progress & Promise being held Oct. 6. In addition to hearing speakers and gathering with like-minded Catholics, you will be among the first to learn the findings of VOTF’s 2018 review of online diocesan financial transparency.
- Click here to read “Ten Steps Toward Reforming the Catholic Church.”
- Call us at (781) 559-3360 or email us at office@votf.org.
Finally, and always, “Keep the Faith, Change the Church.”
clergy sexual abuse scandal, coverup, Pennsylvania grand jury report, roman catholic church, voice of the faithful
“There isn’t a whole lot you can do because lay people are not in positions of power in the church,” he said. “Basically you’re outsiders, and the only way you can influence is as an outsider.” (America: The Jesuit Review)
Susan Reynolds, a Catholic studies professor at Emory University, took to Twitter to describe something she witnessed during Mass on Sunday (Aug. 19) that she said was unlike anything she had ever seen before.
“In a series of tweets, Ms. Reynolds described an encounter between the pastor of St. Thomas More Catholic Church and a father at Mass with his young son, who is on the verge of making his first Communion.
“The priest, Mark Horak, S.J., had just delivered his homily, which was devoted to the news that 300 priests have been named in a grand jury report chronicling the sexual assault of more than 1,000 victims in Pennsylvania. Father Horak apologized to those feeling angry and let down by church leaders, and he lamented that lay people were not empowered to do more in the church.
In some ways, it was a call to action …
“‘There isn’t a whole lot you can do because lay people are not in positions of power in the church,’ he said. ‘Basically you’re outsiders, and the only way you can influence is as an outsider.'”
By Michael J. O’Loughlin, America: The Jesuit Review — Read more …
accountability, America magazine, America: The Jesuit Review, catholic church, catholic priests, clergy sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse scandal, coverup, Fr. Mark Horak, Michael O'Loughlin, Pennsylvania grand jury report, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, St. Thome More Catholic Church, Susan Reynolds, voice of the faithful
BOSTON, Mass., Aug. 20, 2018 – Pope Francis issued a letter today addressed to all the People of God in response to last week’s grand jury report of long-term Catholic clergy sexual abuse and its coverup in six Pennsylvania dioceses. The Pope abjectly apologized for the abuse, pointed out the spiritual failings, Church structures and culture of clericalism that led to it, and he exhorted Catholics to prayer and fasting for conversion.
With these words, Pope Francis seems at last to understand how corrupting clericalism has been and how terrible the evil perpetrated by abusers and the bishops who covered up. But prayer, fasting and penance, while essential, will not fix the problems. A good deal of prayer, penance and fasting has occurred but has not stopped the abuse, or the coverups, or fix clericalism. Although we applaud the Pope’s expressions of regret and sorrow, as always, we find ourselves anxiously anticipating action to back up his words.
This time, all the people of God must be involved in a systemic solution, as several bishops have pointed out over the past few days since the grand jury report was released. It is impossible to think of a conversion of our activity as a Church, which Pope Francis is calling for, that does not include the active participation of all God’s people. VOTF has long called for greater lay input into the governance and guidance of the Church and for accountability now so clearly essential to addressing this systemic evil.
The Pope also correctly and emphatically points out the evils of clericalism. He says it is an approach that “not only nullifies the character of Christians, but also tends to diminish and undervalue the baptismal grace that the Holy Spirit has placed in the heart of our people. Clericalism, whether fostered by priests themselves or by lay persons, leads to an excision in the ecclesial body that supports and helps to perpetuate many of the evils that we are condemning today.”
We agree. Clericalism, as VOTF has said since our 2011 response to the John Jay College report on clergy sexual abuse, is at the root of the problem within the church today. The priests, the hierarchy and the laity all play a role in creating the culture of clericalism, and we must all play a role in tearing it down. The first step must be to hold accountable those bishops that covered up the abuse. This is not just to point out that some bishops are guilty. It also is meant to be a call to action for the lay people.
The Church is the People of God, and we all must right these wrongs:
- We must stand for nothing less than a full account of those who allowed this abuse of children in the Church to continue and who covered it up, and the Pope must remove from ministry those found guilty of committing or covering up these crimes.
- We must call for a change in statutes of limitations so that victims can seek justice in our courts, and the church must support those changes—not stand in the way.
- We must work together to root out clericalism and make the Church as an organization answerable to all the People of God.
Click here to read Pope Francis’ letter in response to Pennsylvania grand jury report.(link is external)
Voice of the Faithful Statement, Aug. 20, 2018
Contact: Nick Ingala, nickingala@votf.org(link sends e-mail), 781-559-3360
Voice of the Faithful®: Voice of the Faithful® is a worldwide movement of faithful Roman Catholics working to support survivors of clergy sexual abuse, support priests of integrity, and increase the laity’s role in the governance and guidance of the Church. More information is at www.votf.org.
accountability, bishop accountability, catholic bishops, catholic church, catholic clergy sexual abuse, catholic priests, clergy sexual abuse scandal, clericalism, coverup, Pennsylvania grand jury report, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, U.S. bishops, vatican, voice of the faithful
“We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them,” the pope states (in a letter Aug. 20 addressed to the People of God). (National Catholic Reporter)
Pope Francis has acknowledged that the Catholic Church ‘did not act in a timely matter’ to protect children from sexually abusive priests over a period of decades, saying in a new letter to members of the Catholic faith around the world that the church ‘abandoned’ minors to those who would abuse them.
“‘With shame and repentance, we acknowledge as an ecclesial community that we were not where we should have been … realizing the magnitude and the gravity of the damage done to so many lives,’ the pontiff says in the letter, released Aug. 20 in response to the Pennsylvania grand jury report.
“‘We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them,’ the pope states.
“In the three-page letter, addressed to the ‘People of God,’ Francis also says the church has “delayed” in implementing measures to protect children and to hold those who have abused them to account.
By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter — Read more …
accountability, catholic bishop accountability, catholic church, Catholic Church reform, catholic hierarchy, catholic priests, child protection, child sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse scandal, clericalism, coverup, Joshua J. McElwee, national catholic reporter, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, transparency, vatican, voice of the faithful
BOSTON, Mass., Aug. 15, 2018 – The findings of a grand jury in Pennsylvania that investigated sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy in six dioceses there cannot be called a surprise. Not after grand juries examining clergy sex abuse in two other Pennsylvania dioceses found the same pattern. Not after grand juries in other states and government commissions around the world have unearthed the same crimes and the same failures again and again.
What would be a surprise is if, this time, the Church hierarchy follows up on its numerous promises and expressions of sorrow and finally brings to account all those who participated in the crimes and coverups. Although Church officials can point to the positive efforts made to introduce child protection safeguards and abuse reporting going forward, such efforts cannot substitute for full justice – the Church and the Catholic faithful must hold accountable the many bishops, chancery officials, and even lay persons who knew of abuse, looked the other way, and allowed the predators to claim additional victims.
The latest report goes further than many others in the United States in naming the bishops who allowed abuser priests to escape justice. Now the test for the hierarchy will be whether these bishops face any sanctions for their failures, and whether all priests named as abusers are out of ministry. It is no longer sufficient to say a statute of limitations has passed or that the bishop now knows better. Justice and morality are not defined by legal stipulations. It’s long past time to do what’s right.
Voice of the Faithful has called for such accountability since its founding in 2002. As a lay organization seeking reform within the Church, we work with lay people, priests, and a few brave bishops to bring forward the changes that could guard against such abuses in the future. We promote programs that encourage both transparency and accountability, offer pathways to healing for those damaged by the abuse, and ask all Catholics to exercise vigilance.
However, given the administrative structure of the Roman Catholic Church, such efforts by the Catholic faithful must be endorsed and then implemented by the hierarchy if we are to obtain full transparency and accountability. Recent calls by some bishops, in the wake of news about former Cardinal McCarrick, for lay participation in holding bishops accountable would be a good start. The second step would be to address the clericalism that fosters such systemic failures.
Click here to read excerpts from the grand jury report and access link to full report.
Voice of the Faithful Statement, Aug. 15, 2018
Contact: Nick Ingala, nickingala@votf.org, 781-559-3360
Voice of the Faithful®: Voice of the Faithful® is a worldwide movement of faithful Roman Catholics working to support survivors of clergy sexual abuse, support priests of integrity, and increase the laity’s role in the governance and guidance of the Church. More information is at www.votf.org.
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Voice of the Faithful ® 