STEUBENVILLE (OH)
Wheeling Intelligencer
November 26, 2018
By Linda Harris
Bishop Jeffrey M. Monforton said he understands Pope Francis’ desire to develop a worldwide approach to combating the Roman Catholic Church’s sexual abuse crisis.
The Diocese of Steubenville’s leader made his comments following “an obvious curveball” that the Vatican threw at the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops when it nixed the group’s plans to vote on accountability proposals. Monforton said Pope Francis wants to pursue a worldwide, rather than a geographical, approach.
Although the council did sign off on an anti-racism letter, it also had planned to vote on a proposal to establish an investigative board — one that would include lay people — to look into allegations of sexual misconduct, as well as a draft code of conduct for bishops. That plan changed when the Vatican issued a last-minute directive prohibiting a vote until after a global Vatican-led meeting on the church’s sex abuse scandal convenes in February.
“We came in thinking we were going to take a vote; obviously that vote was delayed,” Monforton said during a recent interview, adding he thought the Council of Bishops “certainly acclimated well” to the delay so Pope Francis “can work with all the bishop conferences throughout the world.”
“We have to look through the universal eyes of the church, it’s not just us,” Monforton said. “After that, we have to keep our minds open” to other ideas.”
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