EDITORIAL: Release of list just one step toward restoring trust

Jun. 23--It's a step in the right direction. But there's much more to be done if leaders of the Roman Catholic Church want to restore trust in an institution stained by decades of clergy sexual abuse and cover-up.

In the June issue of the Wyoming Catholic Register, Diocese of Cheyenne Bishop Steven Biegler published a list of 10 priests and one former bishop who he says have had substantiated allegations against them of sexual abuse of minors or vulnerable persons since 1950. (To view the list, go online to https://tinyurl.com/cheyenneclergyabuse.)

In his four-page newsletter article, headlined "Where sin increases, grace abounds," Bishop Biegler called sexual abuse by clergy "an appalling sin and a reprehensible crime." He went on to say:

"On behalf of the church, I apologize to each victim, not only for the misconduct of those who committed sexual abuse, but also for the failure of any church leader who did not take appropriate action after having received a report of an allegation. Finally, I pledge to do all that we can to assist with your healing and to learn from errors in our past."

That statement is long overdue, of course. For decades, those who were victimized by priests, bishops and others in positions of authority have been waiting not just for an apology, but for the church to get serious about making sure the problem doesn't continue. Instead, those accused of such heinous acts have been quietly moved from one place to another, allowed to offend again.

Making matters worse, the victims in these cases have often been treated worse than the offender. Their allegations weren't investigated. They were treated as pariahs for even suggesting a church leader would do such a thing. Instead of being praised and supported for being brave enough to come forward and tell their traumatic stories, they were ostracized.

Thanks to groups like SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), these victims and their advocates have kept pressure on the church to do the right thing. But it's shameful that it took 14 years from the time SNAP was founded by an Ohio woman abused by a priest at the Catholic school she attended for the church to state a zero-tolerance policy for such behavior. And it took more than three decades for the church to start releasing lists of names of those who have had the allegations against them substantiated.

Bishop Biegler said he decided to release the names after an "impartial and comprehensive assessment" of 303 files of Catholic clergy of the Wyoming diocese, including five bishops, 253 priests and 45 deacons. The diocese had help from the law firm of Nussbaum Speir PLLC, which has experience in doing these types of file reviews for other dioceses.

It's this type of outside review that will help restore the laity's trust in their ordained leaders. New procedures adopted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have the potential to further support victims by ensuring laypeople are involved as soon as a complaint is lodged and throughout the investigation process. But these promises and procedures are only meaningful if the bishops are committed to following them.

Bishop Biegler is right when he says, "Transparency helps prevent future abuse because it makes it almost impossible for those of us in church leadership to backslide on our promise of zero tolerance."

Locally, the church has taken other positive steps to support sexual abuse victims. The Diocese of Cheyenne has a victim's assistance coordinator, Mary Adams, who helps them get the support they need. The diocese also established a Shalom Fund to offer financial help. Plus, Bishop Biegler has expressed his willingness to meet with victims and "accompany them on their journey of healing," and, according to his newsletter article, that has already been happening.

The list of initiatives and actions taken locally since 2002 also includes:

Reporting abuse: "All diocesan personnel and volunteers are bound by the mandatory reporting laws of the State of Wyoming."

Zero-tolerance policy: "No cleric can serve in public ministry, in any capacity, if there is a reasonable cause to believe he has sexually abused a minor at any time."

Transfers: "No cleric with a credible allegation of sexual abuse will be transferred to any other ministerial assignment, here or elsewhere."

More resources and information can be found on the local diocese's website at http://dioceseofcheyenne.org/protect.html. In addition, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has a page at http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/child-and-youth-protection/victim-assistance.cfm, and SNAP's resource page can be found at http://www.snapnetwork.org/resources.

But, again, the key to solving this problem and restoring trust is proving the long history of ignoring, denying and covering up allegations is over.

We give both our local bishop and Pope Francis a lot of credit for beginning the healing process. In his newsletter article, Bishop Biegler said, "I pray that publication of this list today is a clear signal that things have changed." We share that hope and prayer, but, ultimately, the proof will be in actions, not words.

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