Interim head of review board sees more cooperation with bishops

Published: 2004-06-30

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The outgoing interim chairwoman of the bishops' National Review Board said that she expects more collaboration between the lay board and the bishops now that the board has demonstrated its independence. Another aid to cooperation is that the board has shown the high quality of its work in helping the bishops implement policies to prevent clergy sex abuse of minors, said Justice Anne M. Burke. Increased collaboration should overcome antagonisms with some bishops, she said. "These animosities shouldn't have happened. We are trying to overcome that now," she said. Burke, an Illinois Appellate Court judge, spoke to Catholic News Service June 29 by telephone from her Chicago office after the review board met June 27-28 to plan future activities. Because the board was appointed by the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, "we worked hard at autonomy" from the hierarchy to establish credibility, she said. Initially, the board needed a wall between it and the hierarchy "to avoid the view that we are a rubber stamp for the bishops," said Burke.

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