Time to Choose: Addressing Sex Abuse

By Bishop Edward Scharfenberger
Times Union
June 21, 2019

https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Time-to-choose-Addressing-sex-abuse-14029642.php

Nothing is more central to our faith than Jesus — to believe God loves us in Him — personally. After all, we call ourselves Christians! The Father sent his only-begotten Son into the world for one reason: to announce his love for every human being, going into the depths of where love is lacking, and to lift us in his Holy Spirit, the heart of God's love.

Nothing is more important for the Church than to announce that message. It this context I offer my reflections on the spring meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

On the upside, we resolved any question of whether the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, should be applied to bishops. We voted overwhelmingly to hold ourselves accountable for instances of sexual abuse of children and vulnerable persons, sexual misconduct, or intentional mishandling of such cases.

We committed firmly to the full engagement of lay professional experts in all cases against bishops. This is already in practice with other clergy. Language was used ensuring the universal principles outlined in Vos Estis, the recent motu proprio (personal edict) of Pope Francis, are the norm in the United States.

We also established a new, independent third-party mechanism for reporting cases.

On a sobering note, general frustration and anger remain about the slow pace of change and a sense that some bishops do not "get it." Survivors and many others want more from leadership than to manage or fix things. Many seek to be heard more and even to be involved in a process of change.

Most incidents of abuse surfacing now occurred many decades ago, mostly 1965-1985. The environment within the U.S. Catholic Church today is among the world's safest. Reports of current, ongoing sexual abuse of minors by clergy are down drastically in the last 20-30 years. Yet 8 out 10 Americans, according to a recent Pew survey, believe it an "ongoing problem."

Another source of frustration is that everyone wishes the investigation of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and Archbishop Michael Bransfield (West Virginia) could go faster. We look forward to the full report that the Holy See promised.

(Editor's Note: Bransfield is accused of financial transgressions including $4.6 million spent on his home renovations. The National Catholic Register reports that although McCarrick, 88, is no longer a cleric, he lives in a Kansas Franciscan friary after the New York Archdiocese said it substantiated his sexual abuse of a teen 45 years ago). Many bishops have taken initiatives to ensure that circumstances that failed to surface or address abuse during the 1965-85 peak are no longer present. I announced an independent Task Force, with renowned lay experts, specifically charged with this mission.

We can agree on one thing: some clergy members have scandalously not lived up that call to be holy. As more accounts surface, we recoil in anger, confusion, frustration and even disgust, to the point of leaving the support and practice of the faith. And for those who have survived abuse, painful memories persist, often daily. The personal crisis does not subside. As many more become aware of traumatic accounts by courageous survivors, we are ourselves shaken. To that extent we, too, feel in crisis.

"Crisis" can be understood another way. Its Greek origin means time of decision-making. Rather than panic and jump ship, unite and right the course.

The real "crisis" or "time to choose" is a call from Jesus to personal holiness. Where do you stand? We need holy bishops, priests, deacons, laypeople. My pastoral letter this week is related to this real crisis. Fallen humanity must go to the only true source of salvation, mercy and healing: Jesus Christ.

The real crisis ... is a crisis of faith. This includes suffering survivors, their families and friends — some of whom are also clergy — all the faithful ... at different stages in our spiritual journey. What we feel as anger and frustration may be a protective "cover up" for the pain and disillusionment of being betrayed again by those we rightfully look to for leadership. We look for leaders who don't just tell us what the Gospel teaches, but who live the Gospel by their example, sacrifice and holiness.

So many of our parish leaders strive to be holy pastors who love and guide their sheep to the point of laying down their lives for them. I am deeply grateful to them and can only imagine the pain and frustration they feel, trying to console their people. I pray the priestly prayer of Jesus himself who, before he died, prayed for those who would lead his flock. Pray on it — slowly.

We need leadership by example. My favorite and constant prayer is, "Lord Jesus, I trust in you." Without Him, I can do nothing. "If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal" (1 Corinthians 13:1). But "nothing will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).