WASHINGTON (DC)
USCCB
October 26, 2015
[Note: BishopAccountability.org obtained this USCCB document from several parish websites.]
Spotlight, a movie on the Boston Globe articles on child sexual abuse in the Church, debuted at the Venice Film Festival in September. It is set for a limited U.S. release Nov. 6, followed by a nationwide release Nov. 20. The drama from Open Roads Films is directed and co-written by Tom McCarthy and features several notable actors and actresses: Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, Mark Ruffalo, Stanley Tucci and John Slattery.
In our experience, Catholics and others will take the movie as proof of what is happening today, not what happened in the past. Do not let past events discourage you. This is an opportunity to raise the awareness of all that has been done to prevent child sexual abuse in the Church.
There is much good news to share.
General Thoughts:
1. Acknowledge the reality of the sexual abuse scandal and the changes the Church has made in response
2. Acknowledge the role victims/survivors and journalists played in bringing this issue forward for action
3. Be open and transparent about any abuse in the diocese
4. Make sincere apologies to victims/survivors and families
5. Demonstrate the lessons learned; refer to Annual Reports, Nature and Scope and Causes and Context study
6. Remain vigilant; this is a reminder we cannot afford to become complacent
7. Use this as a reminder that the Church teaches that all human life is precious and is to be protected at all levels
Specifically:
The Church has done many things since the sexual abuse scandal first broke . . .
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.