Catholic sex abuse confronted

By Lance Dwyer

Two reports released last week detailing more than 10,000 cases of sexual abuse by Catholic priests from 1950 through 2002 has forced church officials across the country to address the crisis and attempt to explain the source of the behavior.

"I hope that we will be able to learn from this study and allow ourselves to move forward and continue with the impetus that we have taken up years ago in relation to this problem as we do everything in our power to help the victims and their families to ultimately ensure that this never happens again," Bishop Patrick McGrath said during a panel discussion regarding the report Tuesday in the Mayer Theater.

The study ultimately found that 4,400 priests had been accused of sexual abuse, with 10,600 victims for the past 52 years.

The three people selected to participate in this week's panel were Thomas Plante, psychology professor and nationally recognized expert on sexual abuse particularly in the Catholic Church; Rev. Thomas Smolich, S.J., Provincial Superior of the California Province of the Society of Jesus; and Victoria Brown, Santa Clara County district attorney.

Each panelist offered a different perspective on the issue while highlighting specific details of the study for the roughly 150 people in attendance.

Panel moderator David DeCosse began the panel with an explanation of the reports. There were three reports released in total, two done by boards mandated by bishops across the country and a third done by done by a committee formed by the Vatican, DeCosse said. The first two reports were meant to explore the specifics of the dilemma, while the third was meant to explore the causes of pedophilia.

The John Jay College research team worked on the first report for over a year. The study consisted of three different surveys that were sent out to virtually every diocese in the country. One survey sent to each diocese focused on its particular organization as a whole, another focused on a specific priest that had been accused, and a third one focused on a specific accusation.

In March 2003, the research team sent out one copy of each survey to 202 dioceses and eparchies. In the following eleven months, 97 percent of the dioceses eventually returned the survey.

Former Clinton administration Chief of Staff and Santa Clara adjunct professor Leon Panetta was a member of the National Review Board in charge of the second report, in which 75 to 80 interviews were done of bishops, cardinals, priests and psychiatrists across the country in order to get a sense of the nature and scope of the problem.

The researchers who designed this study readily admit the limitations of these reports, even though several measures were taken to ensure as much accuracy as possible, such as the promise of confidentiality to each diocese that participated, Panetta said.

One such limitation that Brown pointed out is that child abuse is a secretive and painful matter that prevents many children from ever coming forward with charges.

"I don't want to completely dismiss the findings of these studies but I don't think they're accurate," Brown said.

"We acknowledge that this wasn't a very scientific study in one sense," Panetta said. "We've given recommendations that additional studies should be done that would be more scientific. Nevertheless, we definitely feel that we were able to draw some important conclusions."

Of the surveys returned for the first report, Panetta said the data gave a "pretty accurate reflection" of the Catholic population as a whole on the national level.

Ultimately, Panetta said, the report concluded that the nature of the crisis is two-fold. The first aspect is in regards to the process in which dioceses and seminaries prepare priests. Many priests are ordained before they are fully prepared for the discipline of celibacy, Panetta said.

Director of Campus Ministry Mario Prietto, S.J., agrees that the lack of effective preparation has been a large problem in the past, though the process has improved as of late.

"I think that some seminarians were accepted who were not apt or qualified for the celibate life," Prietto said. "Seminary training has improved considerably in the last ten to 20 years in terms of screening candidates and giving them a better education. They are encouraged to study and talk about sexual issues in a more candid and thorough manner. This can only help to form priests who are better integrated and more healthy all around."

The second conclusion made is that bishops and church superiors are not effectively responding to instances of sexual abuse. Panetta cited the fear of scandal and the fear of litigation as possible factors that led some bishops to protect priests within their diocese. Many bishops were also often times overly optimistic about the potential of psychological treatment.

"Many bishops relied on treatment because they somehow believed that like an alcoholic, these priests could be treated which is just not the case," Panetta said.

Nearly a week after the release of the report, church officials still don't know the impact the study will ultimately have.

"I don't think it will destroy the Church," religious studies professor Paul Crowley said. "It is an occasion to call the Church to account and also an opportunity to face reality and to face the truth of life as it is in the Roman Catholic Church. That could be very a good thing in the long run."

A major concern among the clergy is how the report will be perceived by the public. Although Crowley said even one instance of sexual abuse is too much, the amount of priests accused of sexual abuse is four percent, which Plante said is on par with the average in other institutions.

About 45 million Americans have been victimized by sexual abuse and research suggests that five percent of school teachers are guilty of sexual abuse, Plante said.

"Priests are human, too," senior Stella Palileo said, a member of a Catholic organization, Youth for Christ. "You can't hold them to the same standard as Jesus. Everyone sins."

Palileo added that although the reports are shocking, they do not hinder her faith.

"I don't condone their behavior but it doesn't reflect on the church or make me any less catholic just because catholic figures made mistakes."

Junior Anne Selak, who has been involved in Campus Ministry since her freshmen year said that to condemn the priests contradicts Catholic ideals.

"I think it's awful how people condemn these priests to hell when we should be showing them God's love and forgiveness," Selak said. "As Christians, we have a responsibility to forgive one another."

û Contact Lance Dwyer at (408) 554-4546 or ldwyer@scu.edu.