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	Catholic Leaders in U.S. Act Fast on Abuse Cases By Eric Gorsk News Journal April 14, 2010 http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100414/NEWS01/4140321/Catholic-leaders-in-U.S.-act-fast-on-abuse-cases Within five days of receiving a decades-old child sex abuse allegation against the Rev. Melvin Thompson, Denver's Roman Catholic Archdiocese investigated, alerted law enforcement and announced his suspension to parishioners and the public. The archdiocese says Thompson, 74, maintains his innocence. Some parishioners have complained the process was unfair and too fast. However, Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput called prompt action "painful but necessary." The episode highlights the challenges American Catholic Church leaders face as they follow through on a promise to be more transparent in dealing with priests accused of abuse, while respecting the rights both of victims and the accused. The case comes during a worsening global clergy-abuse scandal focused on how Pope Benedict XVI has dealt with problem priests in his past church roles. For years, some U.S. church officials kept mum about abuse allegations and shuffled problem priests from parish to parish -- practices first exposed in the 1980s. Denver's handling of the Thompson case is the latest example of American Catholic leaders' shifting from secrecy to greater openness, an attitude church leaders elsewhere in the world have been slower to adopt. This week, the Vatican made it clear that bishops worldwide should report crimes to police if they are required to by law, matching a policy worked out by U.S. bishops after an explosion of cases in 2002. The Denver archdiocese acted more quickly than most but essentially followed protocol, said Diane Knight, the retired head of Catholic Charities in Milwaukee and chairwoman of the National Review Board. On April 7, the archdiocese said, it received a complaint from a man who alleged he was sexually abused by Thompson in the 1970s. That same day, Chaput said, he removed the popular Thompson from his position as assistant pastor at St. Thomas More Parish and suspended his ability to function publicly as a priest. The Denver Police Department said the archdiocese reported the allegation last week, but that no police investigation would be launched because the case falls outside the statute of limitations. A spokeswoman for the archdiocese said it will conduct its own investigation. Thomas Plante, a Santa Clara University psychology professor who has counseled victims and accused priests, said he found it curious a diocese would move so quickly. When a clergyman, teacher or Boy Scout leader is accused of child sexual abuse, it's more typical to investigate fully before making public statements, he said. "You're damned if you do and damned if you don't," said Plante, vice chairman of the National Review Board. "That's part of the challenge now. People have demands and want to know, but we do have laws and due process for a reason."
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