Sincerely
in the Lord Note to Editors: This column by Archbishop John Myers appears in the June 19, 2002 edition of The Catholic Advocate, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Newark. The column presents his views on the historic meeting of the US Catholic Bishops in Dallas, and what this national policy regarding child sexual abuse means for the Archdiocese. This past weekend gave me the opportunity to reflect on the three intense days that the bishops of the United States spent in Dallas last week and the very difficult months that preceded that meeting. All of us in the Church have been through a challenging time. The challenge will continue. But, in my judgment, we have taken major steps to enact the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and, in the process, offered a tremendous example and a service to all in our society as we continue seriously to address the scourge of the sexual abuse of children. It was not an easy task, but it was critical to the life and future of our Church. As a member of the committee charged with the creation of this document, I can tell you that we have raised the standard of conduct, which will not be lowered for anyone who ministers in our Church, and established a strong measure of performance for those of us who are responsible for leading her. In Dallas, we the bishops committed ourselves publicly, as the leaders of the Church in the United States, to the protection of the children that you place in the care of people who represent the Church. It is important for those of us who lead in this Archdiocese of Newark that you know that here, and in every diocese of the country, there is no place in ministry for anyone who has harmed a child. Dioceses are required, for example, to implement “safe environment” programs to raise awareness of the warning signs of child abuse. Although no one can ever guarantee that a case of abuse will never occur, I assure you that the Archdiocese will take swift and appropriate action to deal with any situation of abuse We bishops pledged to assure the victims of the crime of sexual abuse that their needs will be considered as first in priority as we examine any past, present or future allegation of abuse. Those who bring an accusation to us will receive all necessary counseling and other support services to help begin the healing that they and their families so desperately need. I know that those of you who watched the broadcast of the public portion of our meeting heard chilling, moving stories from people hurt physically and emotionally by people they trusted. Even years later, their hurt is real and strong. We members of the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse met with them and with many others in the days before the public sessions to vote on the Charter. And while each of us knew what action we needed to take, these victims put a face to this pain, and added to the urgency of our work. At the end of their time with us, they thanked the bishops both publicly and individually for the opportunity to help shape our discussion and debate. We thanked them for their courage and their advice. The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People acknowledges the wonderful work of our priests and underscores that they are trustworthy. But we wish to strengthen your trust in them. There can be no compromise. You deserve good men in ministry who are striving for holiness. By implementing the provisions of the Charter, we pledge to you that no one guilty of the crime of sexual abuse of a minor, either now, in the past or in the future, will be permitted to continue in priestly ministry. Any future acts of abuse will continue to be reported immediately to the civil authorities for appropriate action, and the Archdiocese will cooperate with the investigation. For those who had committed acts that no longer can be prosecuted, the Archdiocese will cooperate with the public authorities and pursue other disciplinary actions. In this area there is and perhaps always will be some differences of opinion about the right path to take. Our goal is to assure you that child abusers will not be allowed to serve in priestly ministry. We call all of us to seek conversion and to entrust ourselves to the mercy and forgiveness of our loving Father God. In this spirit the Archdiocese will try to find ways to help care for the offenders as well. Lastly, the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People requires the bishops of the United States to take responsibility – both moral and practical -- for assuring that victims and children are protected, within the terms of the Charter. The National Office of Compliance that will be established is a strong indicator of this responsibility. With assistance from a ‘blue ribbon” panel of prominent Americans, chaired by Gov. Frank Keating of Oklahoma, this office will ensure that all dioceses across the country will implement the Charter systematically and completely. Part of that compliance entails the issuance and publication each year of an annual audit of every diocese’s activities. And Gov. Keating has stated publicly that his plan will look into activities in some dioceses to determine whether the Apostolic See should review the performance of some bishops. Fortunately for the local Church of Newark, much of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People has been in place for some years. Today, no priest against whom there is a credible charge of child abuse, past or present, is in ministry. The Archdiocese has been cooperating with, and will continue to cooperate with, the prosecuting attorneys in each of the four counties of the Archdiocese as they review these allegations for further action. Our Archdiocesan Response Team, a volunteer group of lay people with very specific legal, law enforcement, clinical/psychological and other expertise, continues to investigate all allegations brought to our attention. This group’s activities automatically include the offer of counseling and other support services for those making allegations. The Archdiocese was one of several dioceses last year to pilot a national awareness and outreach program on child sexual abuse. Later this fall, it will be implemented for all in the Archdiocese – clergy, religious, lay staff and volunteers – who work with children. It will be parish based, and we will encourage all who are interested to join in this training. But as good as policies in Newark are, we do need to make changes in order to bring ourselves up to the standards of the Charter. For example, we will need to add a Coordinator of Victim Services to our process – someone who will maintain regular contact with those who bring forth allegations of abuse to ensure that they receive support now and into the future. I will be working with our diocesan attorneys and with the Archdiocesan Response Team to amend our policies and procedures so that it mirrors the Charter where it must, and improves upon it for our Archdiocese when it can. Once the review of existing cases by the prosecuting attorneys is complete, I intend to amend our current practice of maintaining confidentiality and privacy for both victims and accused during an investigation. I am grateful to you, the people of the Archdiocese, for your spirit of trust in our priests, for your support of them in this time of trial, and for your prayers for the Church both here in the United States and throughout the world. I have heard so often from the priests that you give them the strength to continue working for you each day. They are proud of you, and love you. I know well your pride and love for them. It is my hope that over the next two years, as we implement the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, that you will come to see that the Charter is the strongest document of its kind in this country. It offers the protections necessary to restore your trust in our Church, provides justice for those who are abused, and holds the bishops accountable for maintaining strong policies. This document is a great improvement on the work the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops undertook in 1985. The bishops will no doubt build on this Charter in the years to come. My hope, too, is that other organizations that work with and for children will see this charter as a working document for them to use as we all continue to pledge ourselves to ensuring the safety of children from anyone who might harm them. May St. Joseph, protector of the Church, intercede for each one of us that we may draw ever closer to Christ Jesus our Lord.
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