Working To Restore Trust Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, M.M. attended almost every meeting of the U.S. Bishops' Ad Hoc Committee on the Sexual Abuse of Minors from 1993 until 1999. With the seven bishop members, she joined other consultants along with conference staff to work on recommendations that would respond to the horrible reality of the sexual abuse of minors by priests. She had a very good reason to be there. Her son was the victim of sexual abuse by a priest; the priest was her own brother. I was not surprised to receive a letter from M.M. this past week. "I am so angry and disappointed and sad. ... How discouraging for all of us who were involved, who worked sincerely and diligently ..." Her son came to our committee meeting once to talk about his life and experience after abuse. I shall never forget that session or the other times when members of our committee listened, stunned at the wrenching, horrible stories of young people who were preyed upon by someone trusted, a priest. Victims/survivors spoke to us of what had been stolen from them, their innocence, their self-confidence and, for some, their faith. After those meetings with victims, I went back to my room and wept. Our committee also met with priests who had abused young people to hear their stories. I love the priesthood -- I hated what these priests had done. I especially detested the idea that someone, a priest, or any other adult for that matter, could pick out a vulnerable, defenseless child or teen and pursue and stalk him or her for their own pleasure or power. Over and over these past weeks, I have been reviewing and restudying the three volumes of Restoring Trust which our committee prepared and presented to each bishop and diocese throughout those years. Those volumes are full of educational materials, guidelines and recommendations prepared to help the bishops develop strong diocesan policies, to ensure that victims would always come first and be treated justly and pastorally, and to provide effective assessment, treatment and long-term care for priests who had abused minors. "Angry ... disappointed ... sad!" I agree with M.M. I also feel all those same emotions at this time in the church. Each newscast and article in print on this issue has sunk deep into the pit of my stomach. I have felt the anguish of families and parents, of children, of victims, of faithful brother priests who are smeared by the scandal and of bishops who feel anger even within the college of bishops. I sense that faithful Catholics have not known for sure what to believe or say. Some folks with personal agendas have come out of the woodwork and are having a field day. I thank God for the words and strength of Pope John Paul II and the meeting of the cardinals and the conference leadership in Rome. Again, the office of Peter has come to strengthen us in our ministry. The leadership of St. Paul-Minneapolis Archbishop Harry Flynn as the new chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Sexual Abuse of Minors will greatly assist all of us in the very crucial months ahead. But we bishops have much to do to restore trust! In these days preceding Pentecost, I believe strongly in the power and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, even in the midst of anguish and crisis. The Spirit gives us hope to move forward in addressing this issue. At the June meeting of the bishops' conference, I believe serious discussion must take place among the bishops on several issues that a few years ago would never have seen the light of day. I believe the bishops must spend substantial time in June at our meeting in prayer and fasting, in reparation for our sins and in public apology to those who have been hurt, abused and scandalized by the church. Many have been hurt and reparation must be made. We need to offer prayer and penance as a group of bishops! Now needs to be the time for bishops to consider gathering the data; the facts and figures about the number of priest-abusers and victims in our country. Too long have Catholic people had to guess at or be held captive of the statistics others, some not our friends, have calculated. The truth can be freeing, even if difficult to swallow. Whether we develop a national policy on sexual abuse or not, I believe that the bishops need to open their dioceses to some regular visitation by national review panels. The panels of outside, objective and critical experts should evaluate and assess diocesan policies and procedures on sexual misconduct by priests with minors, the pastoral care of victims, and the protection of the rights of priests based on recommendations already developed in canon and civil law, Restoring Trust, the other recommendations from the Holy See and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. These are some of the issues I believe we need to consider at the June meeting of our bishops if we are to help restore trust in the life of the church! My brothers and sisters of the Diocese of St. Cloud, pray for the church in these days. Soon I will ask us to gather in various locations throughout our diocese to discuss this issue, to open our hearts and our minds to the Holy Spirit, and to pray "for the grace to meet this challenge with uncompromising courage and harmony of purpose. I beg the Lord to give the bishops of the United States the strength to build their response to the present crisis upon the solid foundations of faith and upon genuine pastoral charity for the victims, as well as for the priests and the entire Catholic community in [y]our country. And I ask Catholics to stay close to their priests and bishops, and to support them with their prayers at this difficult time" (Pope John Paul II, April 23). + Bishop John F. Kinney Bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud © 2002 Diocese of St. Cloud. All rights reserved. Sexual Abuse Will Not Be Tolerated Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Reports about sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy have captured much national and local media attention in recent weeks. I want to reiterate that the Catholic Church condemns sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and sexual harassment against all persons as a grave violation of the justice and respect that must govern human relationships. Since 1991, the Diocese of St. Cloud has had a strong policy in place to provide information and guidelines for dealing with instances of sexual misconduct. Persons who offer services in the name of the church -- clergy, religious and lay -- are required to comply fully with our policy. The policy requires compliance with state and local reporting laws, immediate investigation of reported incidents by church officials, suspension from employment or ministerial duties in cases where guilt is determined, and the offering of medical, psychological or spiritual assistance to victims when appropriate. It requires a diagnostic evaluation and treatment for clergy offenders, as well as continuing education for church personnel that is focused on recognizing and preventing sexual misconduct involving children or others. The diocese has also established a program to help victims of sexual misconduct committed by church personnel. Anyone wishing to bring forward a complaint is encouraged to contact a victim advocate who will assist the victim to take whatever steps he or she feels are appropriate to resolve the issue. Confidentiality is assured. The diocese requires that every parish announce this program at least annually in its bulletin and include the names and telephone numbers of diocesan advocates. I encourage anyone who feels they are a victim of sexual misconduct to contact an advocate or the vicar general, Father Marvin Enneking. I also want to give you my assurance that in the Diocese of St. Cloud, there are no clergy serving in parishes nor would I appoint a priest or deacon to a pastoral position who has been found guilty of sexual abuse of minors. It is important to remember that our priests and deacons and all those engaged in ministry in the Diocese of St. Cloud have served and are serving with great integrity and honesty. Sexual misconduct, however, will not be tolerated. Our diocese has sought to be, and will continue to be, proactive in addressing this issue -- by improving safety, abiding by civil laws, offering healing when necessary, and adopting approaches that enhance the church's hallmarks of justice and charity. Please pray for all of us in this important responsibility. + Bishop John F. Kinney Bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud © 2002 Diocese of St. Cloud. All rights reserved.