Print Issue: September 5, 2002

Archbishop Hears Priests On Scandal

By Gretchen Keiser, Staff Writer

ATLANTA - Over 140 priests of the archdiocese took part in listening sessions in August as Archbishop John F. Donoghue spoke to them about the charter adopted by U.S. bishops in June and heard their concerns about the clergy sexual abuse scandal.

Msgr. Henry Gracz and Father Dick Morrow, vicars for clergy, requested the sessions.

Both diocesan and religious order priests were invited to attend. Jim Kantner, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and director of Catholic Charities, served as the facilitator. Five sessions were held, organized by deanery, at the archbishop's residence. Each lasted two hours.

"I wanted to tell them what went on at the Dallas meeting with the bishops and how the charter came about and what we as individual dioceses were expected to do as a result," Archbishop Donoghue said.

"It was conceptualized as an opportunity for the bishop to hear his priests, but also for (the priests) to hear one another," Kantner said. "Hopefully it was the beginning of a conversation."

Priests were asked to respond to three questions, including the impact of the sexual abuse scandal on them, and their fears and concerns in light of the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" adopted in Dallas. They were also asked their hopes for the future.

In a summary Kantner provided to the archbishop, their feelings included anger at the media and the bishops who failed to take responsibility for abusers in the clergy, embarrassment, confusion, betrayal, disgust, sadness, hurt, fear and anxiety. Priests also said they felt an "outpouring of love" from Catholics, especially parishioners, and saw "the laity's fidelity" as positive.

They asked clarifying questions about how to report suspected abuse, speak to a parish experiencing an abuse case, or correct a fellow priest. They questioned whether an environment now exists where they would be presumed guilty even if wrongly accused. They asked about whether healing is possible for victims of sexual abuse and for perpetrators.

At the same time, priests said the crisis could lead to positive changes in the church, including more pastoral care for victims, more accountability and openness, more lay involvement, and more emphasis on healthy human development in seminary formation.

"A key element has to be that we as church have a powerful concern for people who are victimized," Msgr. Gracz said. "A second element has to also be a powerful support for the good priests who are doing a good work of ministry."

"There certainly is universal agreement that predators have to be removed from ministry. The question, the problem, is can there be grace for the person who 20 and 30 years ago did something and has by grace not done anything since then and never will? That was raised by a number of priests."

The charter specifies that a priest or deacon who sexually abuses a minor will be permanently removed from ministry for even one offense. This applies to past, present and future cases involving minors.

The charter emphasizes the need for support of victims/survivors, their families and parishes and requires dioceses to put assistance ministries in place and to cultivate an atmosphere of open communication and transparency.

Other provisions include the establishment of a primarily lay review board in each diocese to assist the bishop in regularly reviewing the diocesan sex abuse policy and in evaluating allegations against priests and fitness for ministry.

During the listening sessions, charter sections dealing with victims/survivors and with the "zero tolerance" policy were reviewed.

"It was obvious to me that (the priests) had concerns, mainly things like false accusations, what would they do," Archbishop Donoghue said. "If it involves a minor, I would have to report it to the Department of Family and Children's Services. It would become public. If it later proved false, they would feel their name was ruined."

"They were also concerned for the victims. This is a paramount issue," he continued, saying that in cases of sexual abuse there is harm not only to the victim, but "to their family, to their parish, to the whole community."

"All of these things are so destructive," he said.

"I think most of the guys felt it was a good chance to talk informally with their bishop about something of such great importance," Msgr. Gracz said. "He really was open to listening to the questions that were raised by the priests."

Although the Vatican has not yet approved the norms that accompany the charter, Archbishop Donoghue said it is important for the archdiocese to move forward in implementing locally the mandated charter provisions.

He said the archdiocese already had a good policy in place for reporting cases of suspected sexual abuse, but the policy is being revised to bring it completely in line with the provisions of the charter. He also said the archdiocese is fortunate to have Project Aware, the child sexual abuse prevention and education program of the archdiocese, already in place.

He said he expects to release the revised sexual abuse policy of the archdiocese and to announce the members of the local review board after a mid-September meeting.

Archbishop Donoghue also said that he is in the process of reviewing all of the priest personnel files since the diocese was established in 1956 to see if there are priests in ministry who would be subject to review or removal under the charter's provisions.

In a previously scheduled event, Father Canice Connors, OFM Conv., will be in the archdiocese Oct. 8-10 to address the annual convocation of priests. Father Connors, president of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, has an extensive background in clergy treatment programs.

"He is an expert on priests understanding themselves and being people of spirituality and wholeness, someone who knows priests well talking to priests about themselves," Msgr. Gracz said.

"The most hurtful thing about the scandal is that I think every priest has felt that he is under a magnifying glass and my experience is that we have got a good group of holy men. Most of the fellows felt reassured individually within their congregations. But the way we're perceived by people outside the church can be really problematic."