As I See It: "Promise to Protect" Is in Full Force in Diocese

By Edward J. Reynolds
Telegram & Gazette
November 4, 2015

http://www.telegram.com/article/20151104/OPINION/151109736

When I was asked in 2009 by Bishop Robert J. McManus of the Diocese of Worcester to be a member of the Diocesan Review Committee, I agreed. Committees like this were established by The Catholic bishops of the United States to advise bishops on matters regarding sexual abuse allegations, including whether allegations are credible and how they should be handled, how victims can be helped, codes of conduct, and also monitoring how policies to protect children and young people are being followed.

I agreed to be a member because as a Catholic lay person, parent, grandparent, former trial judge, now practicing attorney, I wanted to know first-hand what was going on and to assist in the local protection efforts for children and young people in the Diocese of Worcester. Now that the movie “Spotlight” will be in theaters soon, I suspect many other people may want to know what is happening today in our diocese.

As a result of my past seven-year membership and the responsibilities connected thereto, I can represent that the Diocese of Worcester has fully adopted and works every day on past issues regarding persons who may have been sexually abused as a minor by a priest, deacon or other church personnel of the diocese. Likewise, I have seen how they are protecting children today by implementing nationally accepted protocols.

The Diocese of Worcester has been operating in compliance with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for Protection of Children. As part of their response to that charter, it established the Office for Healing and Prevention in 2002 to work with victims coming forward seeking assistance. It also broadened its committee of advisers from outside the diocese, called the Diocesan Review Committee, to do the following: hear and assert the credibility of all complaints of sexual abuse of minors made against any diocese personnel; advise the Bishop on a course of action including termination from ministry, or employment or volunteer status, as well as assuring reporting to the District Attorney’s Office; advise the Bishop regarding outreach to alleged victims, treatment for victims and/or family members; and establish and maintain and confirm protocol with all the Diocesan parishes.

I have been impressed with the makeup of the Committee, the work of its members and what they bring to the table. These are professionals in various fields related directly to child care and advocacy including psychologist, pediatricians and social workers, and law enforcement.

We have reviewed audit procedures involved in national audits. Consistent with that, we have, as members of this committee, gone to parishes and schools and confirmed that their answers to the required questions are based in truth. For example, both the national audits and our parish audits confirm that all clergy, employees and volunteers have completed background checks, and have been screened via a CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) check.

There is far more detail to all of this and if anyone wanted more, then visit www.worcesterdiocese.org, but as for myself, I say that the “promise to protect” and the “pledge to heal” are in full force and effect in the Diocese of Worcester.