Survivor says the dioceses’ release of 188 names of priests, deacons accused of sexual abuse is all about damage control

By Mark Crawford
Star-Ledger
February 14, 2019

https://bit.ly/2V92CNc

While the release of information from the Catholic dioceses in New Jersey is a step in the right direction, says the head of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. The list lacks important details. Photo by Gerald Herbert

For decades, advocates and organizations like SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, have called on our New Jersey bishops to release the names and files of clergy known to have abused children. Such pleas fell on deaf ears.

While any release of information from our church officials, from an institution well known for its secrecy, is a step in the right direction, the list lacks important details. The list could hardly be considered a sincere attempt at contrition or full transparency. In fact, this limited release is more about damage control than it is about healing.

One can only conclude that the real reason any information has been released at all is due to continued pressure from the state Attorney General’s and his office’s ongoing investigation of the five Catholic dioceses, as well as nationwide efforts to reform the statute of limitation laws and similar reform bills pending before New Jersey lawmakers. These are laws that will finally instill accountability, create consequences for institutional cover-ups and allow sexual abuse victims access to our courts.

Survivors of sexual abuse need information because its critical to their path of healing. When facts of their abuser, and or abuse, remains hidden, it often denies them of the ability to move forward. If this is a true attempt to heal the wounded, much more information is needed. Healthy institutions and all members of our society must learn as long as we keep secrets regarding sexual abuse, we empower the predator, who will continue to prey upon the vulnerable.

A survivor often wonders “was it only me," “were there others abused before or after me?” "Did I have to be a victim, could someone have stopped my predator?” Our bishops failed to detail when church officials learned of abuse allegations against those named and what action they took (or more often failed to take) to ensure others were not harmed.

We also weren’t told which assignments or parishes these men worked at when the abuses were perpetrated (some diocese failed to list assignments at all), leaving parents to wonder if the abuse occurred while the priest or deacon was at their parish or at their children’s school? We see no acknowledgement of when these men were removed from ministry or placed “on leave,” when they may have been sent to a treatment center or out of ministry.

They also didn’t include in their listing any religious order clerics, who teach in our schools and operate some of our parishes. They may account for 20 percent to 30 percent of all abuse allegations in any given diocese. Yet, unlike other diocese, our N.J. bishops would not include them.

The use of the word “multiple” in describing the number of victims some of the men had leaves us wondering if they abused two victims, 10, 20 or 50? Clearly, some of these men who abused children, or those involved in child pornography, would have had many, many victims. Perhaps, detailing those numbers would have been too shocking to the faithful.

Additionally, they told us that those clergy still under investigation were not included in the listing at this time, which means the real number of abusive clergy is significantly higher than the 188 they reported. Lastly, they didn’t tell us where those men are living today. Are they still among us? Are they working in our schools or working with children? Who is watching them?

The reality is our bishops know much more than they have shared with us. They cannot police themselves; intervention and investigation by civil authorities will be the only path to the full truth. Parents must remain vigilant, and encourage our bishops to provide the whole truth, which is long overdue. While releasing a list of names will bring validation for some victims, the facts that remain hidden will not bring the healing and transparency needed to end the scourge of sexual abuse within our church.