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  Diocese Asks Forgiveness from Abused

By John R. Gaydos
Columbia Daily Tribune [Missouri]
January 2, 2005

Media coverage of the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church has helped us understand the great pain and devastation of that sin. Stories of survivors have awakened us to the power that someone in authority has over another and the human destruction that occurs when that trust is violated. Understandably, this has stirred feelings of anger toward those who have perpetrated this wrong and compassion for those who have endured it.

In the Diocese of Jefferson City, the compassion is pervasive. We have reached out to victims and offered assistance in counseling, education and employment. Most people accept that the church has not only a responsibility to provide assistance for healing of the harm done but also an opportunity to reach out to someone in need of the restorative grace our faith provides.

We must acknowledge the anger as well. People feel hurt and betrayed by trusted people in trusted institutions. However, at least in the history of this diocese, the betrayal was by the sickness and selfish desire of individual priests and not by their bishops and other clergy. These men used the cover of their priesthood to violate the sacred innocence of children. No one understood the dreadful impact of those secret lives, but that fact does not acquit church leadership.

We have failed. It pains me to know that abuse was being perpetrated by members of our clergy without the bishop of the diocese being aware. I sincerely apologize for it, but there is nothing I can do as a bishop to change the past. What I can and must do, with others’ prayer and collaboration, is confront the truth, alleviate some of the pain and take steps to ensure this will never happen again.

Some demand a public accounting of all allegations and investigations. We could not do this without violating the confidentiality of victims and their families. However, we do have a review board composed primarily of laypeople who hear all allegations. Information about an alleged abuse is no longer controlled by the bishop but shared with a broad-based representation of church members who judge its credibility and recommend a course of action.

There have been cases of priests with credible allegations reassigned after completing therapy. This was done upon the recommendation of a professional therapist, and, thank God, we have had no instance of a priest sexually abusing a child once the diocese was initially informed of his behavior. In my tenure, no abusing priest has been assigned to a parish or transferred to another diocese. Under the zero-tolerance policy, a credible accusation permanently removes a priest from ministry.

I have spoken to every victim who has requested my involvement. Everyone who makes an allegation is invited to speak with the bishop, but oftentimes victims prefer to speak to someone who has had more pastoral or therapeutic experience in this area. The important thing is that every survivor is listened to, is respected and is offered assistance. This is our policy regardless of whether we believe the allegation is substantiated.

We have had 27 priests credibly accused, a per capita number that is higher than the national average. Perhaps, as a mission diocese, our standards were not as high as they should have been. Perhaps the isolation of a small rural diocese made the secrecy too easy. We don’t know why, but we did voluntarily report that shameful number, and we are participating in a study to reveal its causes.

Although we have not released a list of those 27, many have been individually acknowledged in the press, in their parishes and to appropriate authorities when they left the diocese. None has had a criminal conviction, but we have fully cooperated with prosecutors and law enforcement. We urge anyone making an accusation to report it to the local authorities. If the accuser is a minor, we make the report ourselves.

Still, we are an imperfect church with an imperfect past. To those who have been harmed by abusive clergy, I offer my profound regrets. I recognize that no public apology, however sincere or repeated, will magically cure the harm suffered by victims and their families. The memories are long, and the pain is deep. We have made changes to ensure better protection and greater efforts toward healing and reconciliation, but the work has just begun. We are committed to make these efforts a permanent part of our diocese.


John R. Gaydos is bishop of the Catholic Church's Diocese of Jefferson City.

 
 

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