The well publicized Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report of August of 2018 made it clear that there were over 300 accusations made against priests in six of the eight dioceses in the Commonwealth (the two others had their own Grand Jury Reports previously) over the last 70 years. With persistent requests by civil and Church authorities for victims to step forward, and with the relentless solicitation by a number of lawyers and firms, the numbers grew. In our diocese there were, I believe, twenty-one men accused in the report, with about four additionally accused since then. These accusations go back many years, with very few if any current in our day. Looking at the list of priests who served in the Diocese of Greensburg since 1951 when the Diocese was formed, there have been 213 priests who served here who have died. With the number serving or retired at this time, the number reaches just over 300. Add the men who have left active ministry for a host of reasons over these years, and the number grows greatly. These have been and continue to be good men of faith, dedicated to the service of the Lord and committed to living out the Gospel life. Like all of us journeying toward our perfect union with the Lord of Life, we are sinners striving to be saints.
When we fall, the entire community suffers. As sinners we are called to repentance. We must face the consequences of our actions and make amends. And when justice is brought about, it must be adequate and fair. As Christians, justice must be tempered by mercy. Only then can it lead to healing and not revenge. And isn't this what we need ... healing and reconciliation as well as justice and peace.
As an article from the August edition of Psychology Today by Thomas Plante which I mentioned in a previous post observes ... though most are, not every report of clerical sexual abuse is true. There are a host of reasons for this observation. We live in a very accusatory world. However, every acusation must be looked at and its truthfulness determined before we pass judgement. This must be done in civil law as well as in Church law. The difficulty lies in the fact that so many accusations come from years ago when proof is elusive because of death or sketchy memory or lack of evidence. That is, in my understanding, one of the reasons for statutes of limitations. The vast majority of those accused in this diocese have accusations made long after their deaths. The process needs to provide the one accused the ability to defend themselves and their reputations, and an unbiased court of law (Church and civil alike) to determine the truthfulness ... not the court of public opinion and the press.
This is one of my personal problems with the Grand Jury Report (and the Grand Jury system). It is in practice one sided. The prosecutor seeks out whatever testimony and information they need to bring an individual to trial. Then both sides present their cases before a judgement is rendered. Last August the world was told that all three hundred plus men who were accused Catholic priests were guilty of terrible actions and not entitled to defend themselves against these accusations. The news media painted them with one brush stroke, and hinted that the Church and the majority of her priests were included in that broad stroke of the brush of accusation and guilt.
And if you will excuse a personal judgemental feeling, there were a number of lawyers and law firms that saw big bucks in attacking the institution of the Church rather than only the individual and have become a new form of abulance chasers.
I personally have become aware of three friends who suffered at the hands of one of the accused priests from the report. I have no doubts regarding their experience, even though I was totally unaware of these things happening. In fact, I even served in a parish with this priest many years later without any indication that something like this had ever taken place. I was shocked and disappointed with this priest and deeply saddened for my classmates and friends. I heard from one yesterday who spoke powerfully of his journey from hurt and pain to the merciful and healing embrace of the Lord through the Church. He assured me that he prays for his abuser and the bishop at the time … and that he names me and other priests in his prayers. I am deeply moved by his generous response to the Lord's love and compassion.
The journey ahead is only beginning and there will be challenging days ahead for the Church - the faithful and those who serve them in the name of the Lord. But this is the Lord's Church, and he has promised to always be faithful to his covenant. He has promised that the "gates of hell" shall not prevail against her. He has promised us healing and love. Rely on that promise.
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