BishopAccountability.org
	Diocese Takes Issue with Herald Editorial By Susan Mayer Monterey Herald May 29, 2009 http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/ci_12475948?nclick_check=1 The Diocese of Monterey is outraged by the irresponsible editorial published Thursday by The Herald. We are proud of the work we have done in the years since the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People was passed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in June 2002. In its editorial, The Herald states that the Diocese of Monterey has had a "tradition of silence and denial" on the subject of sexual misconduct by priests. Unfortunately, The Herald does not read its own paper and apparently does not have access to its own archives. If it had reviewed its own writings in this matter it would have found the following articles: 1. Jan. 28, 2004: Diocese may have to sell property to settle cases: This piece reports on our cases and settlements. 2. Jan. 29, 2004: Diocese discusses abuse cases: This piece provided a list of all the lawsuits the diocese had faced since 2002. 3. Feb. 4, 2004: Editorial praising Bishop Sylvester Ryan for candor in speaking publicly about clerical misconduct. Moreover, the diocese has reported to its parishioners regarding our safe environment policy and our policy against sexual misconduct as well as our experience with clerical sexual misconduct many times since the passage of the charter. These include articles in the diocese's newspaper, The Observer: 1. April 2003: Bishop Ryan on the protection of children and young people 2. October 2003: Launch of safe environment program 3. October 2003: Safe environment policy 4. January 2004: Diocese report on the charter and its experience with sexual misconduct 5. February 2004: Bishop Ryan's pastoral letter 6. January 2005: Update on the charter and this year's experience with sexual misconduct Since the passage of the charter, we have fully disclosed information about our claims and the settlements in those cases both to the press and to our parishioners and do not hide behind confidentiality agreements as The Herald alleges. In the latest case involving the Rev. Antonio Cortes, which The Herald does not address, most likely because our conduct in that case does not support The Herald's view, we have done the following: 1. Bishop Garcia and the diocese cooperated fully with the police investigation into this matter and provided information and assistance to the Salinas Police Department; 2. Immediately reached out to the parishes involved and requested that additional victims come forward to the Police Department — not to the diocese. 3. Have allowed the justice system to take its course and have not provided any financial assistance to Father Cortes to help him make bail or pay for this legal defense. 4. Immediately suspended Father Cortes from any privileges to function as a priest. This course of action was done cooperatively with the Salinas police and voluntarily in accordance with our policies. Since the charter was adopted, the diocese has reported each and every allegation of sexual misconduct against an employee, priest or volunteer to the police. No priest with a credible allegation of sexual misconduct is in ministry in the diocese or has permission to function as a priest. Every case of alleged sexual misconduct is investigated and is reviewed by the diocese's Pastoral Review Board. While The Herald is attempting to try the current Doe v. Doe case in the press, we decline to do so. The Herald irresponsibly published allegations for which there is absolutely no substantiation and that imply a long course of abuse of the victim by two priests, which the reader is supposed to assume occurred in the Diocese of Monterey. This is patently false. The case is set to be decided by a jury in the next several weeks. Your description of the Doe case is as inaccurate and misleading as the rest of your editorial. Every situation and every victim is important and respected. As we have said in the past, the diocese has expressed sorrow for the suffering that has occurred. We remain willing to help all victims whether they are pursuing court actions or not. Dramatic changes have been made in the way the diocese has approached the problem of sexual misconduct since 2002. We take our obligation to children and young people seriously. Since 2002, the diocese has trained thousands of children and parents in the prevention of sexual abuse and fingerprinted over 10,000 employees and volunteers. The Herald editorial was obviously written without any serious look at the processes now in place. It is time for The Herald to stop maligning the Diocese of Monterey and to report information accurately and fairly. Susan Mayer is general counsel for the Diocese of Monterey. Editor's note: The Feb. 4, 2004, editorial referenced by Mayer credited Ryan for newfound candor "after years of stonewalling" and taking "refuge behind confidentiality clauses."
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