President of U.S. Bishops’ Conference and Committee Chairman Response to Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report

WASHINGTON—Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, is hosting a series of meetings this week responding to the broader issue of safe environments within the Church. An update will be offered upon their conclusion.

In response to today’s Pennsylvania grand jury report, Cardinal DiNardo joins Bishop Timothy L. Doherty of Lafayette in Indiana, in issuing the following joint statement. Bishop Doherty is Chairman for the USCCB’s Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People.

The full statement follows:

“The report of the Pennsylvania grand jury again illustrates the pain of those who have been victims of the crime of sexual abuse by individual members of our clergy, and by those who shielded abusers and so facilitated an evil that continued for years or even decades. We are grateful for the courage of the people who aided the investigation by sharing their personal stories of abuse. As a body of bishops, we are shamed by and sorry for the sins and omissions by Catholic priests and Catholic bishops.

We are profoundly saddened each time we hear about the harm caused as a result of abuse, at the hands of a clergyman of any rank. The USCCB Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People and the office of the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection will continue to offer avenues to healing for those who have been abused. We are committed to work in determined ways so that such abuse cannot happen.

The Pennsylvania grand jury report covers a span of more than 70 years. In 2002 the U.S. Catholic bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which commits us to respond promptly and compassionately to victims, report the abuse of minors, remove offenders and take ongoing action to prevent abuse. This Charter was revised and updated in 2011 and again in 2018. We pledge to maintain transparency and to provide for the permanent removal of offenders from ministry and to maintain safe environments for everyone.  All policies and procedures regarding training and background check requirements are made publicly available by dioceses and eparchies.

We pray that all survivors of sexual abuse find healing, comfort and strength in God’s loving presence as the Church pledges to continue to restore trust through accompaniment, communion, accountability and justice.”

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Keywords: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Bishop Timothy L. Doherty, Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People, Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection, Pennsylvania, Grand Jury Report, sexual abuse, clergyman, U.S. bishops, Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, prevention, accompaniment, accountability, justice.

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Media Contact:

Judy Keane

202-541-3200

The Attorney General’s investigation and subsequent grand jury report involving six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania has been broad and the content has been difficult to read.  The material is painful for everyone, most especially survivors of sexual abuse and their loved ones. We deeply regret their pain and remain focused on a path toward healing.

It is important to note that the Archdiocese was not subject to the grand jury investigation and is not part of this report. However, that fact in no way eases our responsibility and longstanding efforts to ensure the safety of children and families in our Church environments.

For more than 15 years, the Archdiocese, along with the Church at large, has put in place a wide range of reforms to protect young people.  We have a zero tolerance policy for clergy, lay employees, and volunteers who engage in abuse of children or misconduct with minors and take immediate action when an accusation is made.

Relevant information can be found at https://childyouthprotection.org and http://archphila.org/archdiocesan-offices/office-of-investigations/.

Some key points are listed below.

All people working with children, including volunteers, undergo criminal background checks and child abuse clearances.

All AOP clergy, staff and volunteers complete Safe Environment training programs and Mandatory Reporter training programs. Over 110,000 adults have received training to recognize, respond and report abuse since 2003.

All young people in grades K-12 receive age appropriate abuse prevention education.

All employees and volunteers who have contact with children are required to report suspicions of child abuse.

A full-time, professional staff develops policies and trainings based on the law, best practices and the “Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries to clearly define acceptable and unacceptable conduct which apply to all Archdiocesan clergy, staff, volunteers, parents, and members of parish communities.

An active “safe environment program” is pursued within all of our parishes, schools, and youth programs for compliance audits and disseminating information and resources on child abuse prevention.  There are 280 designated “Safe Environment Coordinators” diocesan-wide serving parishes, schools and youth ministries.

We encourage the general public to report all suspected child abuse by clergy or anyone participating in an Archdiocesan program to the Commonwealth, local police, and to identified Archdiocesan personnel.

We require our Office of Investigations to handle allegations of misconduct, and every allegation involving minors is reported to law enforcement, logged, and reviewed to determine whether interim restrictions on ministry or employment are required.

We refer allegations against clergy members involving minors, even those solely involving violations of the Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries, to the Archdiocesan Review Board, which functions an independent consultative body to the Archbishop.

We submit to regular audits and the USCCB’s annual report process, which allows independent auditors to evaluate and scrutinize the Archdiocese’s youth protection efforts and response.

These layers of protection, including the engagement of secular professionals and direct work with law enforcement, have resulted in far fewer abuse incidents in the Archdiocese than found in society as a whole.

In addition to our efforts at abuse prevention, the Archdiocese also provides ongoing, significant support for survivors of abuse and their families.  We encourage victims to come forward, and we will continue our extensive efforts to help victims of sexual abuse heal.

Studies have now shown that sexual abuse plagues every aspect of our current culture – from sports and public institutions, to the entertainment industry and politics.  Prevention comes from training and constant vigilance.  In that light, our path will remain focused on ensuring that children and young people are protected, and wrongdoers are reported to law enforcement.

To make a report: To report an allegation of sexual abuse, immediately contact your local law enforcement agency and/or the Archdiocesan Office of Investigations at 1-888-930-9010.  Mandated reporters are required to call ChildLine, which is staffed by the Department of Public Welfare at 1-800-932-0313.

To report a violation of The Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries, contact the Archdiocesan Office for Investigations at 1-888-930-9010.

If you need support or assistance, victim services and referrals are available through the Victim Assistance Office of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at 1-888-800-8780 or www.childyouthprotection.org.

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Editor’s Note: For further information regarding efforts on the part of the Archdiocese to protect the children and young people entrusted to her care as well as to assist survivors on their journey to healing, please visit https://tinyurl.com/AOPPledgetoProtect.

Contact:

Contact: Kenneth A. Gavin
Chief Communications Officer
215-587-3747 (office)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 14, 2018 Joint Response to Release of Grand Jury Report Harrisburg, PA– The Pennsylvania Office of Victim Advocate, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Office for Child and Youth Protection have joined to share resources and provide support to survivors and parishes in the wake of the release of the grand jury report. We recognize that news coverage about sexual abuse, transcripts of victim testimony, and the resultant conversations amongst friends, neighbors and family can often be traumatic and bring about feelings of helplessness, anger or despair for victims, parishes and the community. This report and its scope may deeply impact victims and our community at large. We want all affected to know they are not alone – there are free and confidential resources for those victims identified within the report, for parishioners in need of assistance with processing the report, as well as the community in general who may need guidance in talking through the emotional toll. Our agencies are available to provide supportive measures your community may need – assistance with hosting dialogue around these difficult realities, help in locating written resources for hope and healing, validation via phone or community in-person conversation. The entities identified below are free and confidential for anyone who is in need of guidance or assistance. Information will not be shared between agencies. For those seeking rape/sexual assault counseling: Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape 888-772-7227 For those seeking resources within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and for information on resources available in other Pennsylvania diocese: Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Office for Child and Youth Protection 888-800-8780             For those seeking community crisis response assistance: Keystone Crisis Intervention Team             215-343-6543 As the partnership between these three entities continues, ongoing resources will be developed and shared throughout Pennsylvania. If you suspect child abuse, call ChildLine, the 24-hour statewide system operated by the PA Department of Human Services, toll free at 800-932-0313.