A Response to Sr. Patricia Anastasio’s Article about “spotlight” the Movie

Road to Recovery
November 9, 2015

http://www.road-to-recovery.org/

I can just imagine what happened during the past week in the office of Cardinal Timothy Dolan. He more than likely gathered his communications and public relations team to answer the question, “How are we going to respond to the “Spotlight” movie about the clergy sexual abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Boston? After all, it is getting rave reviews and there is growing Oscar buzz about it.”

The plan that was settled on in Cardinal Dolan’s office was a clever one. “Let’s get a good and faithful Catholic nun, Sr. Patricia Anastasio, head of the Archdiocese of New York’s Sexual Abuse Review Board and a loyal employee of the Archdiocese for a very long time, to write an article for the Daily News,” they most likely said to each other. “In fact, we will brief her on what we want in the article and have her send it to the Daily News.”

I can just imagine Cardinal Dolan and his communications experts meeting with Sr. Pat and telling her to focus on her service as an inner-city Catholic school principal, tugging on readers’ heart-strings, instead of as someone who has worked as a bureaucratic “insider” for decades for the Office of Catholic Education. She is currently the hand-picked Chair of the Archdiocesan Sexual Abuse Review Board. Sister Pat is not a psychologist, social worker, police officer, or law enforcement professional, yet she leads a panel that deliberates and offers opinions about crimes against children.

Sr. Pat’s article succeeded in parroting the words of Cardinal Dolan and all bishops who continue to do exactly what the “Spotlight” movie effectively exposes: treat sexual abuse victims as enemies, cover-up allegations of clergy sexual abuse, and attempt to discredit victims’ supporters and advocates, including plaintiffs’ attorneys. Nothing has changed; in fact, it is worse, because many Catholics, like Sr. Patricia Anastasio, and others believe the bishops when they say, “The crisis is over.” Actually, it is just beginning.

There are priests in the Archdiocese of New York who are still in ministry today after being credibly accused of sexual abuse. I work with some of their victims, demonstrate outside parishes and schools and institutions where these men (and women) are or were stationed, and assist these victims and their families to get on the road to recovery. In addition, Cardinal Dolan has refused to release the names, locations, and status of all New York Archdiocesan priests, deacons, and religious persons who have been accused of sexual abuse of children, and he continues to lead the multi-million dollar campaign to block fair and just legislation in Albany that would give victims of sexual abuse in New York State their day in court.

If Cardinal Dolan and Sr. Patricia Anastasio want to help sexual abuse victims, they can start by supporting the Child Victims’ Act which is introduced every year in the New York State legislature but successfully defeated primarily by one institution that claims to do everything in its power to protect children; namely, the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinal Dolan should be keeping his promise of transparency regarding sexual abuse of children, a promise he and his fellow bishops made in 2002 but have yet to fulfill.

The Catholic Church is not the safest place for children. It is far from it, largely because Catholic bishops continue to operate much the same as Cardinal Law did in the film, “Spotlight.” Children are no safer today in Catholic institutions than they were a hundred years ago because bishops, like Cardinal Dolan, continue to use communications and public relations experts (and heart string-tugging nuns) to try and convince Catholics and the public otherwise.

Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D.

Co-founder and President

Road to Recovery, Inc. (assisting victims of sexual abuse and their families)

P.O. Box 279

Livingston, NJ 07039

862-368-2800