The Bishop Writes

(From the April 11, 2002 edition of the Inland Register)

In all of my nearly 42 years of priestly ministry, the Catholic Church here in the United States has never experienced the publicity and criticism it has faced over the past few weeks. By now we know the issues very well: the pain of victims of sexual abuse, accusations of cover-up, lack of transparency, broken trust, and lack of confidence in the institution and some of its leaders.

These are very serious issues, and we must address them with deep pastoral concern, justice, and humble honesty. I would like to suggest, however, that although this is a time of significant pain for all of us, it also can be a time of significant grace, conversion and growth for us as a church.

First and foremost, we must be a pastoral Church, deeply committed to the care and safety of all of our people, and especially our children and youth. As we continue to learn from our history, I hope that we are far more sensitive to certain behavioral red flags which indicate the potential danger of abuse. All of us need to be observant and watchful in this regard. People have every right to expect trust and confidence in this matter, especially for ministers in the Church. Deep alienation and anger result when this trust is broken. That alienation, that anger, have a very real impact on all of us.

We also have become much more aware of how abusers will use "grooming activity" to target their victims - how they will spend months building up a friendship which the potential victims find consoling and affirming, only to be terribly violated when the actual abuse takes place. In our own diocesan policy which we have had in existence since 1989, we are very specific about the kinds of behavior that are inappropriate and fraught with danger:

• Touches and embraces that are not acceptable or are uncomfortable to the individual as appropriate to sex and age;
• Language and non-verbal communication which is suggestive, demeaning or controlling of another person; the singling out of persons, especially children, for special personal attention or personal gifts;
• Taking of young people on personal trips or vacations without other adults or appropriate chaperons;
• The appearance or the reality of concealing or asking individuals to conceal the fact and nature of an interpersonal relationship.

It is extremely important that a significant part of our pastoral care also should be devoted to the victims. If a minister working in the diocese has been involved as an abuser, then we immediately offer counseling for the victim. None of us really knows what that experience has been like unless we have encountered it directly.

Deep compassion and patience are very much in order for those of us in positions of responsibility and outreach. There might be a public perception that the Church is not concerned with the needs of the abused. Let me give you my personal reassurance that nothing could be further from the truth. Our children are precious and irreplaceable. They are gifts from God, ours to nurture, to love, to cherish, and to protect.

These are difficult days for the Catholic Church, and yet we must approach this situation with a sense of humility, honesty and transparency. Some have suggested that the media is to blame for the present situation. On the contrary, we in the Church have nothing to hide when we minister with integrity and honesty. This moment may truly be a time of grace for the Church as we look to the future. We need to make sure as best we can that ministers in the Church minister with integrity and honesty. Certainly one of the reasons there has been such strong public reaction to news reports of priests who have abused is the very high expectation of public trust in the sacred role of the priest. It goes without saying that everyone has a right to that expectation.

The Catholic Church must also adhere to the civil laws of the state in which the diocese operates. For example, in the State of Washington any abuse of a minor must be reported to civil authorities. We have always done that since I became Bishop of Spokane in 1989. In those situations where the statue of limitations has expired, we urge victims to personally seek legal counsel since we know that victims cannot expect aggressive action on the part of civil authorities. For more than 10 years we have had a sexual abuse committee consisting of an attorney, a pediatric nurse, a psychologist, and two priests who assist me in addressing responsibility regarding these issues.

Since my return to the diocese in 1989, no priest who has abused a minor has been placed in active ministry.

Since November 1992, the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops has had five principles in place which are to be guidelines for diocesan policies:

• Respond promptly to all allegations of abuse where there is reasonable belief that abuse has occurred.
• If such an allegation is supported by sufficient evidence, relieve the alleged offender promptly of his ministerial duties and refer him for appropriate medical evaluation and intervention.
• Comply with the obligations of civil law in regard to reporting an incident and cooperating with the investigation. (By the way, specific laws and legal obligations vary from state to state.)
• Reach out to the victims and their families and communicate sincere commitment to their spiritual and emotional well being.
• Within the confines of respect for privacy of all the individuals involved, deal as openly as possible with the members of the community.

These national guidelines are integrated into our diocesan policy. I’m sure the work of the bishops at their national meeting in Dallas this coming June will discuss whether these principles are sufficient. In any case, I hope this moment of pain in our Church will help lead us to a much deeper sensitivity to the gravity of the problem and deal with it more effectively than we have in the past. Especially we as the Catholic Church should be exemplary in this regard.

During this Easter season, I am keenly aware that there are also some victims who carry the wounds of abuse but who have integrated that painful experience into their lives. To you who choose to remain anonymous, in the name of the Church, I offer my most sincere apology and ask for forgiveness. I assure you of my daily prayers. Finally, I ask your prayers for the victims of abuse. They need our support, love, and understanding. Perhaps that attitude on our part might contribute to the healing process in their lives. And as hard as it might be for some, we need to pray for the abusers as well. We have sadly learned that over half the abusers have in their younger lives been victims themselves. Whether we look at families, schools, youth groups, or church ministry, we all must prudently and wisely do our best to break the cycle of abuse. May God grant us wisdom in the future to do what is right and just as we strive for greater holiness in life and responsibility for one another.

May God give you peace.

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