Religious seek reconciliation, conversion with sex abuse victims

Published: 2004-01-13

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Marist Father Ted Keating calls the clergy sex abuse crisis a "terrible dark grace" which is helping religious orders in the United States understand their mission to conversion and reconciliation. The Rev. Ellie Harold, who was sexually molested by a Marist priest 40 years ago, is "grateful for the whole mess," she said, because the crisis led her to a healing service in 2003 and helped bring closure to a painful part of her life. "It's no fun to live as a victim. We have to close one chapter and start another which is called 'The Rest of Your Life,'" said Rev. Harold, a minister in the nondenominational Unity Church. Father Keating is executive director of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, an umbrella group for the 317 religious communities of priests and brothers in the United States. He is hoping that reconciliation programs involving victims, abusers and leaders of religious orders become a hallmark of the way religious apply the U.S. bishops' policies on dealing with sex abuse of minors.

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