Why don’t you escalate your concerns to Neary’s metropolitan Archbishop, Most. Rev. Bernard Hebda of Minneapolis/St. Paul. I can virtually guarantee you a response from Abp. Hebda, a WYSIWYG Pittsburger. 🙏 Good luck
Thank you for the work you do. My guess is that some consultant has helped the USCCB develop this script for handling allegations. Its intention is to minimize diocesan financial and legal risk, rather than to seek justice. This is clericalism at work. This crisis will never be over until our Bishops seek true justice. Coddling accused priests at these vacation clubs is unjust. It would be interesting if you could find the documents that our Bishops are using to guide their approach.
I've written a couple things on the reporting process for sexual abuse to dioceses, if that would be of any help to anyone reading this.
I've been through the process twice, once as the victim and once as a witness. Yes, it's emotionally difficult, but it's so, SO important to leave as much of a paper trail for this sort of thing as possible.
If you’re an aberrant sexual abuser, become a priest. You’ll never get punished and you can do it as many times and for as long as you want, no consequences.
Is this truly what they want? Because that’s what they’re advertising.
Imagine being sexually abused, putting yourself in the extremely vulnerable position of telling officials what happened, and then those officials host a prayer service for your abuser. How horrific!
If the ACC wanted to host a general prayer service for the community, that would be appropriate. We are called to pray for the repentance those accused of abuse (even though it's REALLY challenging to do so), but publicly advertising a prayer service that names him is not just poor taste, but it's perpetuating the abuse.
It is primarily the role of the diocese to seek justice but I believe it is primarily the role of the community to aid victims and survivors in their healing process.
In many dioceses, the "treatment" is worse than the crime. I have heard personal horror stories of clerics who were encouraged in their sin as part of their "personal and spiritual renewal".
Why don’t you escalate your concerns to Neary’s metropolitan Archbishop, Most. Rev. Bernard Hebda of Minneapolis/St. Paul. I can virtually guarantee you a response from Abp. Hebda, a WYSIWYG Pittsburger. 🙏 Good luck
I will look into that. Thank you very much for the suggestion.
Thank you for the work you do. My guess is that some consultant has helped the USCCB develop this script for handling allegations. Its intention is to minimize diocesan financial and legal risk, rather than to seek justice. This is clericalism at work. This crisis will never be over until our Bishops seek true justice. Coddling accused priests at these vacation clubs is unjust. It would be interesting if you could find the documents that our Bishops are using to guide their approach.
I've written a couple things on the reporting process for sexual abuse to dioceses, if that would be of any help to anyone reading this.
I've been through the process twice, once as the victim and once as a witness. Yes, it's emotionally difficult, but it's so, SO important to leave as much of a paper trail for this sort of thing as possible.
https://emilyhess.substack.com/p/should-i-report-abuse-if-someone
https://tejanagringa.blogspot.com/2021/04/what-to-do-if-youve-been-abused-by.html?m=1
If you’re an aberrant sexual abuser, become a priest. You’ll never get punished and you can do it as many times and for as long as you want, no consequences.
Is this truly what they want? Because that’s what they’re advertising.
Imagine being sexually abused, putting yourself in the extremely vulnerable position of telling officials what happened, and then those officials host a prayer service for your abuser. How horrific!
If the ACC wanted to host a general prayer service for the community, that would be appropriate. We are called to pray for the repentance those accused of abuse (even though it's REALLY challenging to do so), but publicly advertising a prayer service that names him is not just poor taste, but it's perpetuating the abuse.
It is primarily the role of the diocese to seek justice but I believe it is primarily the role of the community to aid victims and survivors in their healing process.
In many dioceses, the "treatment" is worse than the crime. I have heard personal horror stories of clerics who were encouraged in their sin as part of their "personal and spiritual renewal".
Hi Meagan. Thanks for the "inside" info.
Please note this update:
https://skepticallydan.substack.com/p/diocese-of-st-cloud-reinstates-fr