Inside
NCR
Just before deadline, NCR
learned of another document addressing the problem of sexual abuse of religious
women by priests (see story page 5). The document was presented in November
1998 before the Council of 16, an organization that includes the superiors
general of men’s and women’s orders around the world. It was
presented to the same group and at roughly the same time as the one written by
Sr. Marie McDonald (see NCR, March 16). The most recently revealed
document shows that religious women were not only reporting on the problem but
suggesting a program of action and education to deal with it. The hope is that
their efforts will result in a degree of accountability on the part of those in
authority.
It bears emphasizing that, as was the case with the other reports
that formed the basis of our March 16 story, this report was not provided by
its author.
The International Union of Superiors General, an association of
women’s religious communities based in Rome, issued a statement March 22
assuring sisters throughout the world that neither the organization nor
individual members had anything to do with releasing the documents to the
press. We can assure you that is the case. NCR obtained the documents,
in every instance, from other sources.
When we asked those who wrote the reports to elaborate on their
findings, they refused to speak to us.
According to the statement from the International Union of
Superiors General, the sisters “presented the sexual abuse of women as
‘one among other problems facing the church at this time,’ and made
it clear that the problem is not restricted to Africa. Africa was highlighted
because it was from there that the authors drew their experience and
information.”
Those wishing to participate in the
Adopt-a-Bishop Campaign (see story on page 9) can do so, organizers tell us, by
sending a $15 tax-deductible donation to the Christian Meditation Center, 1080
W. Irving Park Rd., Roselle IL 60172. This guarantees that a copy of the book
Holy Saturday will be sent to the bishop of your choice. Enclose your
name, address and phone number with check.
For more information on the Bridges
program (see story beginning on page 13) contact Mary Flick, Campus Minister
for Faculty and Staff, St. Louis University, Busch Memorial Center, Room 207,
St. Louis, MO 63103 (Phone: 314-977-2428).
To obtain copies of the video series Shared Vision, contact
The Institute of Jesuit Sources, 3700 W. Pine, St. Louis MO. 63108. Each video
in the series costs $30 plus $5 for shipping.
For key Internet resources related to Ignatian spirituality,
consult the following:
Jesuit resources on the World Wide Web:
www.jesuit.org/resources/
Creighton University:
www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/cmo.html
Ignatian Spirituality Conference 2:
www.slu.edu/conferences/iscabout.html
-- Tom Roberts
My e-mail address is troberts@natcath.org
National Catholic Reporter, April 13,
2001
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