As the archbishop of the local Catholic Church, I openly concede that our church is deeply obliged to comfort, to heal, to console and to support the people who may bear the burden of living with the often hidden anguish caused by sexual abuse as youngsters. As the local bishop I am challenged by this responsibility to acknowledge that the church herself has added to the burdens and the sorrow of too many people through the deeds of some of her ministers and colleagues, and through the negligence and dreadful decisions of some of her shepherds.
When the U.S. bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002, we also commissioned two studies on the issue of clergy sexual abuse in the United States in order to understand more completely the impact of as well as the complexity of the roots of this tragedy in our church and beyond. This was an unprecedented self-scrutiny, unique among all the institutions in the U.S. that serve and care for young people, whether religious or secular. The John Jay College for Criminal Justice of New York conducted both studies; the first was completed in 2004.
Last month, the college released the second study, “The Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests and Deacons in the United States 1950-2002.”
This study shows that in the past two decades there has been a sharp decline in incidents of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clerics. Most abuse now reported occurred in the 1960s and 1970s. Since 2002, the church has committed herself to maintain a zero-tolerance policy so that all credible cases of child abuse are reported to civil authorities, internally investigated, and presented to a local review board comprised mostly of lay persons. Those found to have credible accusations are to be permanently removed from public ministry.
All church workers including priests, volunteers and parents must go through safe environment training and virtually every diocese is audited yearly by an independent, secular auditing firm to assure compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The Archdiocese of Atlanta is now and has been found repeatedly in the past to be in full compliance with the charter.
The Archdiocese of Atlanta’s Office of Safe Environment is responsible for implementing and overseeing the full Archdiocesan response to the charter. One of the primary duties of this office is to provide educational training programs and presentations to assist staff members in becoming familiar with the charter and the program. This office organizes the annual audits required by the charter and oversees the internal investigation process relating to child abuse allegations involving church personnel.
The Office of Victim Assistance is responsible for the outreach and healing programs for those abused by church personnel. This Atlanta office organizes a pastoral response to the victim, their immediate family, and their parish family by offering resources for counseling, spiritual direction, prayer services, retreats and educational information.
The Catholic Church in North Georgia prays for and stands in solidarity with any person who has ever suffered sexual abuse. As the shepherd of this local church, I acknowledge the sorrow that fills the hearts of too many in our society and I am truly sorry for any pain that any church minister might have inflicted. I assure you that the church is doing everything within her power to provide a safe environment for the vulnerable, comfort the injured, and offer a compassionate heart for those who seek to share their sorrow with us.
The Most Rev. Wilton D. Gregory is Roman Catholic Archbishop of Atlanta.
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