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BettyBoopToo
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Camas/Washougal, Washington USA |
| Posts: | 538 |
| First Name: | Betty | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Fist Baptist/Calvary Babtist/Secular Confusion/ Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Sat Apr 14th, 2007 11:18 pm |
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I don't normally get into the scandal issue's, But I felt that this short artcle with facts and figures as to what is going on with the scandal is imformative for all of us, It's a good bit of information to have in the back of our minds when the unfortunate situation arrises that we are forced to make a comment onthe issues.
My intention is not ever to make slight of this horrible Problem, I'm very familiar with being a victim of such an evil as this.
God Bless and please pray for the victims, the families and Yes, The priest, guilty and not guilty.
Betty
THE SCANDAL THAT HAS NO NAME
Yesterday, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released the 2006 report on clergy sex abuse. Addressing this issue is Catholic League president Bill Donohue:
“Rachel Zoll of Associated Press did her usual fine work, but because most of the news was good, her piece was either ignored or drastically reduced by most newspapers. Here are some of the key findings:
· Of the 635 credible accusations made in 2006, 71 percent of the alleged cases took place between 1960 and 1984. Only 2 percent occurred in 2006.
· Most—71 percent—of the accused are either dead or have been removed from ministry; some are missing.
· 80 percent of the alleged victims are male.
“In other words, the abuse flared during the sexual revolution of the 1960s and ended when AIDS was discovered in 1981.
“The report refers to allegations involving ‘children under the age of 18,’ and in doing so confuses 7 year-olds with 17 year-olds; the latter are not generally regarded as children. Since most of the victims are males and all of the victimizers are males, it means that pedophiles and homosexuals commit most of the molestation. Incredibly, neither the word pedophile nor homosexual is mentioned once in the report. The report conveniently lumps together cases which began between the ages of 10 and 14 (they account for 52 percent of the cases), thus making it impossible to determine whether pedophilia or homosexuality was at work (puberty begins between 10 and 12). No matter, there were almost twice as many alleged victims aged 15 or over as there were those aged 9 or less.
“What no one wants to talk about is the 11 percent of priests whose allegations against them could not be proven or were proven false. What is being done for these men? What outreach program have they benefited from? This is the scandal that has no name, and every priest knows it.”
catalyst@catholicleague.org
http://www.catholicleague.org/07press_releases/quarter_2/070412_scandal_no_name.htm
____________________
Patience
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
St. John of the Cross
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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
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| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Sat Apr 14th, 2007 11:51 pm |
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Here is the actual press release from the USCCB. It includes a link to the independent audit report.
WASHINGTON (April 11, 2007) — Clergy sex abuse data collected by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) on compliance with the U.S. Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People was released by the U.S. bishops April 11.
More than 99 percent of the dioceses/eparchies responded to the voluntary survey. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis was not included in the data because its figures came in after deadline. The Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska did not respond.
The CARA survey found that more than 70 percent of the incidents against minors that were reported in 2006 occurred between 1960 and 1984.
The data were released by the U.S. Bishops’ Office for Child and Youth Protection following the annual survey by the Georgetown University-based CARA. The report, titled 2006 Survey of Allegations and Costs: A Summary Report for the Office of Child and Youth Protection, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, is available on the USCCB Web site (http://www.usccb.org/ocyp).
The report also showed the following: - Sixty percent of those accused in 2006 had been named previously in other abuse cases. About 10 percent of the allegations were unsubstantiated.
- Seventy percent of offenders identified in 2006 were deceased, had already been removed from ministry, or had already left the priesthood or religious order when the allegation was reported.
- Money spent on child protection efforts by the Catholic Church increased 35 percent from the previous year.
- Allegations of sexual abuse against minors by clergy fell by nine percent from the previous year.
- Seventeen of the allegations concerned young people who were minors in 2006.
- The total allegation-related expenditures by dioceses, eparchies and religious institutes decreased by 15 percent from the previous year. Costs related to allegations in 2006 were $398,597,694. In 2005, allegation-relate expenses cost $466,933,472.
“This is a sobering report,” said Bishop Gregory Aymond, chair of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People. “The decline in reported cases is good. Most allegations were for behavior which took place decades ago, but the fact that there are any recent cases at all is very disconcerting.” “I take heart in the increased funding for child protection efforts,” he also said. “This demonstrates our commitment to creating a safe environment and a faith environment in our parishes, schools and other Catholic institutions.”
Patricia Ewers, PhD, chairman of the National Review Board, said she found comfort in the significant decrease in the number of recent incidents of abuse.
“If there is anything we’ve learned from this, it’s the need for zero tolerance,” she said. “The risk of reassigning a molester is too high if even one child might be harmed.”
The above article is reposted from the U. S. Conference of Bishops Office of Media Relations.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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CajunRick
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Posted: Sat Apr 14th, 2007 11:55 pm |
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And here is the report on compliance with the national safe environment policy.
WASHINGTON (April 11, 2007) — Virtually all U.S. dioceses are compliant with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, according to a report on the 2006 audits conducted by the Gavin Group, a Boston-based company that monitors diocesan adherence to the U.S. bishops’ plan to address clergy sexual abuse of children.
The Gavin Group also reported that based on information provided auditors, “98 percent of the volunteers for whom training is required have been trained.”
The audits examine compliance to the 17-point Charter drafted by the U.S. bishops in 2002 to confront sexual abuse of children by clergy.
The Gavin Group undertook 11 full audits, most requested by the diocese or eparchy that was audited, and 18 focused audits based on unresolved required actions noted in a prior audit.
Bishop William Skylstad, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), noted the report’s significance.
“Vigilance to ensure the safety of children is now a way of life,” he said.
Bishops need to “work together as one to promote the protection of our children and young people,” he added.
“This translates into a clear and compelling two-fold mandate: to keep children safe in our church, and to heal the past wounds of those we failed to protect,” he said.
The audit report noted that “as they had in 2005, the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska and the Eparchy of Newton for Melkite Catholics refused to participate in the 2006 compliance audit process.”
Seventeen of the focused audits centered on Article 12, concerning Safe Environment programs that call for education and training of children, youth, parents, ministers, educators and others who come into contact with children. There were 15 dioceses/eparchies that were found compliant. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the Diocese of Burlington, Vermont “were found to be non-compliant due to the need to complete the training of volunteers.”
The Diocese of Baker, Oregon, and the Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance of Newark for Syriacs refused to participate in the focused audit process, which was required by their failure to comply with Article 12 in the 2005 audit.
“Maintaining compliance in the coming years remains the challenge of the bishops/eparchs in the United States,” the report said also. “Vigilance is needed to overcome the natural regressive tendency to become complacent.”
The National Review Board, a group of laity who advise the bishops on dealing with clergy sexual abuse of minors, offered two recommendations based on the 2006 audits.
The board asked that “a standardized approach to parish participation in the audit process be developed and implemented.” The board also asked “that bishops/eparchs create structures, or use existing ones, to verify the accuracy of the audit-related data at the parish, school, and institutional level.”
“Some dioceses on their own have developed self-audits of parishes for Charter compliance,” William Gavin, president of the Gavin Group, noted in a letter to Bishop Sklystad.
Patricia Ewers, PhD, chair of the National Review Board, voiced discouragement that four dioceses/eparchs would not comply with the audits.
“It is most unfortunate that the bishops and eparchs of these diocese/eparchies are unwilling to participate in the one measure of public scrutiny that assures the Catholic lay faithful that the church is taking every means possible to reach out to those who have been harmed by individuals in the service of the church and to promote the safety and well being of the children entrusted to its care.”
Teresa Kettelkamp, head of the U.S. bishops’ Office for Child and Youth Protection, noted the effectiveness of the audits.
“The audits have solidly proven that the structures of the Charter are working,” she said. “But this does not mean the job is done. Victims continue to come forward, and a welcoming hand needs to reach out to them. Children still need our protection, and a safe environment must be maintained for them.”
The complete audit report and related materials can be found at http://www.usccb.org/ocyp.
The above article is reposted from the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office of Media Relations.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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BettyBoopToo
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Camas/Washougal, Washington USA |
| Posts: | 538 |
| First Name: | Betty | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Fist Baptist/Calvary Babtist/Secular Confusion/ Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Sun Apr 15th, 2007 02:59 am |
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Thank You Rick for adding the other official releases
Betty
____________________
Patience
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
St. John of the Cross
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David W. Emery
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Brownsville, Texas USA |
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Posted: Sun Apr 15th, 2007 03:43 pm |
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At the risk of sounding like a devil’s advocate, I see a need to address a couple of points made by the chairman of the bishops’ National Review Board. I present these points not to take sides, but in the interest of getting the entire story onto the table.
Patricia Ewers, PhD, chairman of the National Review Board, said she found comfort in the significant decrease in the number of recent incidents of abuse.
One can always rejoice in the reduction of the incidence of abuse, by whatever means. “Zero tolerance” is not necessary for this. Zero incidents is always the goal, but we know that man is prone to sin, so sin will exist until the end of the world. I believe that positive goals are always better than negative ones. To this end, emphasis in many hard-hit dioceses is still lacking in the areas of positive doctrine and morality, of the recognition and awareness of sin rather than reaction to public scandal.
Additionally, let no one think that the bishops’ latest initiative is the sole reason why the incidence is far less today than it was, say, 30 years ago. There is a history of reform going back to the early 1990s, plus a general (though gradual) righting of the barque of Peter on the seas of doctrine and morality, which probably have a greater effect at this moment since they have had time to unfold and bear fruit.
I spoke a few weeks ago in another thread about the vital need for the Church to be a leader in the world, not a follower. We have seen a few baby steps in this direction with the steps taken as a result of the recent scandal. Had the bishops been bolder in their faith, they might have been able to seize the opportunity of the moment to turn the “negative publicity” into a victory, a “resurrection event” that would astound the world. With divine guidance, this may still happen over time. Let us pray that it will come to pass.
Patricia Ewers, PhD, chair of the National Review Board, voiced discouragement that four dioceses/eparchies would not comply with the audits.
Unfortunately, we have heard this recrimination frequently, while the reasons for their non-participation (and it is a matter of non-participation rather than “non-compliance,” since participation is by statute voluntary) have been neither heard nor addressed. Let us be fair and present the entire story.
The reasons mentioned by those bishops (all of them outspokenly faithful to the magisterium) who have chosen not to participate in the current initiative is that the methods officially endorsed by the USCCB have some significant problems. One is that in some respects they do not honor Catholic doctrine and morality, choosing instead to address worldly concerns in a worldly manner. Another is that the incidence of sexual abuse of minors in the dioceses and eparchies which have chosen not to participate is already very low, certainly much lower than the many who are even now using what they consider to be questionable methods to “clean up their act.” So they can understandably view the current effort as a somewhat muddled matter of playing “catch up” on the part of the other dioceses.
Finally, I want to endorse wholeheartedly the effort championed by the Catholic League and by Fr. Benedict Groeschel, who has spoken of it frequently, on behalf of the significant number of priests who have been falsely accused. Their names have been smeared, their careers taken away from them by public opinion, their vocations placed in doubt, all unjustly. Accusations are very public. Retractions are seldom broadcast; they are “not news.” These men are living martyrs.
David
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
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Posted: Sun Apr 15th, 2007 04:29 pm |
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David W. Emery wrote: Additionally, let no one think that the bishops’ latest initiative is the sole reason why the incidence is far less today than it was, say, 30 years ago. There is a history of reform going back to the early 1990s, plus a general (though gradual) righting of the barque of Peter on the seas of doctrine and morality, which probably have a greater effect at this moment since they have had time to unfold and bear fruit.
My personal opinion is that the closing of most of the high school seminaries in the 70's and 80's has led to a more sexually mature priesthood. I believe that, more than any other factor, has caused the reduction in the number of cases. Young men who enter the seminary out of high school or out of college have much more reasonable expectations and a much better understanding than those who used to enter out of eighth grade, and then were virtually forbidden any contact with girls. The life of a seminarian was ideally suited for someone who was uncertain of his sexual identity but knew only that he was uncomfortable in the presence of girls. Of course, we've since learned that many of these young men were "closet homosexuals" even if they were unaware of it at the time.
But even if the percentage of young men attracted to the priesthood represented a disproportional percentage of homosexual men, the fact is that the overwhelming majority of them have never been accused of inappropriate behavior of any type with minors. At its worst, the "scandal" involved a smaller percentage than other professions and volunteer positions such as teachers, scout leaders, and even Protestant pastors. I believe it is true that a larger percentage of cases of Catholic clergy abuse involved young boys rather than girls, where the opposite is probably true in other professional and volunteer positions, but the numbers are still smaller.
The Catholic Church is perceived as having deep pockets because of a unique organizational structure. In other faiths, the congregations own the buildings and the bank accounts. In the Catholic Church, the buildings and bank accounts belong to a larger entity, the diocese. In Protestant congregations, the pastors serve at the pleasure of the congregation; in the Catholic Church, the priest serves at the pleasure of the bishop. There is a corporate structure with a visible head. Just as a lawyer would be more likely to sue Wal-Mart than a locally-owned corner grocery store, a lawyer stands to make a lot more money suing the Catholic Church than an independent congregation or a scout troop. And unlike a public school, the Church cannot deny payment of claims through legislative action if the award is excessive. A judge cannot sieze the bank account of a school or recreation department. He can, however, sieze a Catholic church and order it sold.
From the beginning, the "scandal" has been blown out of proportion. Certainly there was a problem, and certainly many bishops mishandled it (although most truly believed they were acting in the best interests of all concerned based on misguided medical and legal advice), and I do not wish for a moment to minimize the real tragedies inflicted on too many young victims. However, I wish we would also consider the tragedy of the priest accused unfairly, many of whom have lost their jobs and their vocations. They are the casualties of the "witch-hunt" mentality.
A good friend of mine was one of them. He was run out of our diocese because he was where some people believed he shouldn't be, talking to people some people thought he shouldn't be talking to, and someone with a camera at an unflattering angle happened to snap a picture. He was in the background, a block from St. Louis Cathedral on Mardi Gras day. Fortunately he is still honoring his vocation as a priest (and an excellent one), although not in our diocese. To this day, no one has ever accused him of anything worse than having an unflattering picture taken and published without his knowledge.
Another priest I know was accused of molesting a girl a month short of her 18th birthday. When the full story came out, it was revealed that the girl was trying to seduce him. He put up his hand to push her away, and touched her breast in the process. He was not prosecuted and even her parents said he had done nothing even remotely wrong, but "zero tolerance" doesn't work that way. He was forced to leave our diocese and the priesthood. If the girl had been a month older, she would have been an adult and nothing would have happened. By the way, his case is included among the recent statistics for cases of reported, verified abuse.
I wish there was a way we could put the problem into perspective and see it for what it really is, rather than what the media makes it out to be. It is not the worst scandal ever to face the Catholic Church, as some of the media has claimed. It is barely a blip on the radar compared to some of the things the Church has overcome in the past. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, this scandal will be forgotten in a generation.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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