We are reminded almost daily, if we care to read the stories or watch the appropriate newscast, that these are difficult times for the Church. 

 

We concentrate on the Church in the United States. But it is true for the Church all over the world.

 

We have been reminded once more of the scandals and horror of the abuse of minors by clergy, and of the failures of bishops to respond appropriately to these sins and crimes. The result has been anger and shame. 

 

I have heard the anger, especially from the lay faithful and from brother priests. And I share that anger. And any who love the Church and their Catholic faith are shamed by the reports.

 

As time passes since the resignation of Archbishop Theodore McCarrick from the College of Cardinals and the details contained in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report, there is a sense of concern that grows. Are the bishops in the United States going to take solid steps to address this crisis? Or does the passage of time suggest that once more things will go on as before until the next outbreak of stories of misdeeds?

 

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, is the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). On our behalf he has twice in the last six weeks led a delegation to meet with Pope Francis to review the crisis and to ask for support from the Vatican.

 

In addition, the USCCB has issued a statement announcing that on its own authority, a third party reporting procedure is being developed to receive complaints about the misconduct of bishops with regard to minors and to direct them to the appropriate Church or civil authority. 

 

Under development is also a set of policies for dealing with bishops who are the subject of allegations of sexual abuse of minors or misconduct with adults including seminarians and priests.

 

The bishops’ conference has also renewed its request for a full investigation into the details about the allegations surrounding Archbishop McCarrick as well as the responses that were given to those allegations.

 

The bishops will meet in Baltimore in two weeks’ time. We can expect that issues like these directly related to actions to address this situation, and particularly to heighten the accountability of bishops, will dominate that gathering. So too will efforts to express the repentance and regret of bishops for the failures of administration and conduct that have contributed to this crisis.

 

Leading up to that meeting, from Nov. 5 through Nov. 11, Cardinal DiNardo has asked all bishops to join him in a period of prayer and penance to precede that meeting. I will join in that effort of the bishops, individually and collectively, to address our spiritual failings. We will be praying for the unity of the Church and the healing of victims and all who have been scandalized.

 

Here in Illinois, the Attorney General has contacted all six Catholic dioceses to seek cooperation in examining our policies and practices related to the reporting of the sexual abuse of minors by clergy. This is being done in a number of states across the country.

 

The Diocese of Rockford is cooperating with this investigation. Meetings have already taken place with the office of the Illinois Attorney General and documents examined. 

 

It is my hope that such an outside examination of the practices that have been put in place by my predecessors and those which I have followed will give confidence to the faithful and to the public that we are serious about the protection of young people and the holiness of our clergy.

 

Good work often takes time so that we get things right. We all wish that such actions would be taken quickly. 

 

Nevertheless there are numerous and serious efforts underway to address this terrible situation. I support these efforts to bring about concrete steps to restore trust and to demonstrate once again the holiness of Jesus’ Church.