Bishops approve new staff for child protection office

Published: 2003-11-10

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The U.S. bishops unanimously approved the addition of a full-time and two part-time staff positions for their Office for Child and Youth Protection Nov. 10 after clarification that financing for the positions would not come through assessing dioceses for more money. Several bishops said that they are cutting programs and employees in their dioceses while being asked to add staff at the national level. Also raised by bishops was whether the extra work at the child protection office could not be transferred to experts on diocesan staffs. The three new positions would cost $265,156 through 2005 and the money would come from funds the bishops already approved for the office in its 2003-05 budget, said Msgr. William Fay, general secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Failing to approve the new posts "would look like our institutional memory has been lost," said Coadjutor Bishop Joseph A. Galante of Dallas. Bishops cannot be perceived as thinking that things have quieted down, he said. A lot of time is still needed for the church to recover, to provide reassurance and to bring healing to people, said Bishop Galante.

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