Cardinal Wilton Gregory has now retired as the archbishop of Washington, D.C. In 2001, Gregory was elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The following year, the abuse crisis erupted in Boston, and the American bishops, under Gregory’s leadership, approved the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, colloquially known as the Dallas Charter. In an interview, Gregory cited the episcopal approval of the Charter as a “pivotal moment” for the Catholic Church, at which time the “people of God breathed a sigh of relief” that the bishops were finally taking action.
It may indeed be argued that the Charter was crucial for clearing up the abuse problem in the Church. As Bill Donohue, long-time president of the Catholic League, has argued in his informative book The Truth about Clergy Sexual Abuse, the American Church has…
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