Pulpit Announcement

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Via Minnesota
October 6, 2013

http://www.scribd.com/doc/173842766/Pulpit-Announcement-10-5-13

There is disturbing news in recent days concerning certain priests in this Archdiocese and the handling of cases by archdiocesan officials. It is understandable to be distressed by what you are seeing andhearing. Addressing these serious allegations is the top priority for the Archdiocese. It is also critical that theassessment of this situation is done by an independent group so that there can be no question of theintegrity of the review. 

As a result, the Archbishop has appointed a new Vicar, Fr. Reginald Whitt, a Dominican priest from theUniversity of St. Thomas School of Law, to:

1. Oversee the current administration related to clergy misconduct and

2. Appoint an independent lay task force to review any and all issues related to clergymisconduct and to make specific recommendations regarding actions to be taken andpolicies and procedures to be implemented.

The Vicar and the task force, which will convene this week, will have full authority and all the resourcesneeded to complete their work. The findings and recommendations of this task force will be releasedpublicly when the final report is complete.

There can be no question: our standard is - and must always be - zero tolerance for abuse.

During this very difficult time, please hold each other, our community and this local Church in prayer. Andplease pray for all victims of sexual misconduct in Church ministry and in our society