Victim advocates, reformers pressure bishops
WASHINGTON (AP) – The day before America’s Roman Catholic bishops meet to finalize their policy on sexually abusive priests, victim advocates and lay reformers gathered to pressure church leaders one last time before the debate begins. About 40 advocates – some weeping, others holding pictures of victims – stood across the street Sunday from the hotel where the bishops will assemble demanding the prelates take a more aggressive approach to ridding offenders from the priesthood.
“We are undaunted,” said Mark Serrano, a national board member of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. “We will work every day and every night this week to speak to individual bishops.”
The plan adopted this week will stand for at least two years if it wins Vatican approval and many prelates expect the completion of the policy will ease pressure for reform after a year of scandal.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had first approved a disciplinary plan when they last met five months ago in Dallas. The policy before them now is a revision they negotiated with the Vatican that is meant to address concerns about priests’ rights and other issues.
Bishops insist the new version maintains their commitment to removing all abusers from church work, but advocates argued the process will be too cumbersome and secretive.
Their chance to win changes in the plan may be waning.
Victims and lay people had unprecedented access to church leaders at the Dallas gathering in June, holding private talks with cardinals and addressing the full meeting of bishops. No such discussions have been scheduled this week even though the Survivors’ Network said they requested a role.
Since June, public attention has also shifted, from a sole focus on helping victims to preserving priests’ rights, prompted by criticism that the bishops’ original plan violated due process under church law.
The Survivors’ Network discussed their criticism of the new plan Friday in a phone call with Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating, who the bishops chose to lead a National Review Board to ensure dioceses are meeting the new disciplinary standards.
However, the advocates only other plans during this week’s meeting were a candlelight vigil and a talk on abuse for the general public.
The bishops will first review the revisions Monday.
The new plan includes church tribunals to hear the cases of clerics who maintain their innocence and preliminary investigations that bishops will conduct privately to protect the reputation of the accused.
The original policy gave bishops authority to more swiftly oust guilty priests.
The revisions also reinstates the church’s statute of limitations on bringing complaints. The victim must come forward by age 28, but bishops still can ask the Vatican for a waiver in special cases.
Peter Isely, a Survivors’ Network leader from Milwaukee, said he and other advocates will continue to pressure the church even after the bishops end their meeting Thursday, likely with a national plan in place.
Isely argued that many outraged Catholics are still withholding donations and lay reform movements prompted by the crisis are growing.
“Catholics are going to stay in this,” Isely said. “This is not the end of the story by any means.”
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On the Net:
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: http://www.usccb.org
Survivors’ Network of Those Abused by Priests: http://www.survivorsnetwork.org/