Religious communities forming sex abuse prevention programs

Published: 2004-01-13

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The fight to end clergy sex abuse of minors stretches into religious orders and communities as they adapt the U.S. bishops' policies to their special situations. As part of coordinated efforts, religious leaders have produced a training video that includes interviews with victims of child abuse and hired a national organization to make spot checks on how well religious communities implement prevention programs. One Franciscan province even hired an ex-probation officer to keep tabs on offenders living in Franciscan communities. It's all within a framework of seeing the sex abuse crisis as part of the church's constant need for renewal, said Marist Father Ted Keating, executive director of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men. For many religious communities, it's also a rediscovery of their roots, he said. "Many of our founders were calling us to protect children. This is part of our religious mission."

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