Cover
story Post-Dallas: Between a rock and a hard place
If I had my druthers, I probably would have
preferred to have a case-by-case review, Toledo Bishop James R. Hoffman
told NCR in a phone interview. Its clear now that the
bishops have passed this as policy, I certainly intend to follow it -- and I
will follow it.
Hoffman is just one of many bishops around the country reflecting
on the new Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,
which their national conference passed last month in Dallas.
But for Hoffman, his musings arent hypothetical. The head of
the northwest Ohio diocese recently took the painful action of removing a
popular priest from a parish where he served successfully for the past 10
years. (See accompanying story above.) The priest, Fr. Robert Fisher, was
removed because the new zero-tolerance policy states that for even a
single act of sexual abuse of a minor -- past, present, or future --the
offending priests or deacon will be permanently removed from ministry.
Fishers one-time offense, in 1988, was a misdemeanor. He served 30 days
in jail, and after four years of psychological treatment and evaluation was
judged to be not a risk. His parishioners were told of his history before he
was named to the parish, and there have been no new allegations in 15
years.
Fr. Nicholas Weibl, Toledos vicar for priests, said the
policy is a tough one. Its like double jeopardy. You serve time,
and are resentenced again.
Weibl said he agreed with bishops who voiced concerns in Dallas
that the new policy will change the relationship between bishop and priest.
When he removed Fisher in May, Hoffman told parishioners that he
hoped after Dallas to have some clear direction in guiding Fr.
Fishers priestly ministry. The draft then under consideration would
have required any priest who commits sexual abuse in the future to be removed
from priesthood. It would have allowed an exception for some offenders who had
committed a single act in the past, had undergone psychological treatment and
had not been diagnosed as pedophiles. Fisher fit that description.
But in Dallas, victims groups decried the loophole for
one-time abusers. The bishops removed it, and applied the removal from priestly
ministry penalty to past, present and future offenses.
In Dallas, Hoffman told The Washington Post that he
was relieved he doesnt have to seek Fishers removal from the
priesthood, and might be able to find some constructive role for him. According
to the Post article, The possibility that men such as Fisher could
remain priests, possibly in jobs that are not considered ministry
by their bishops, infuriates victims groups.
Hoffman told NCR that after three days of pre-Dallas
discussions with more than 160 priests of the diocese, he found them deeply
divided over how to deal with sexual offenders in their ranks.
Fr. Martin Donnelly, pastor of St. Martin de Porres Parish in
Toledos central city, said he was profoundly concerned that zero
tolerance will be seen as the end of the process.
I think God has wanted lay folks and the church at large to
have a strong, authoritative voice in church decision making since Vatican II.
Everyone recognizes a need to include the whole church actively, to be
responsible, to bring all our wisdom to the hard decisions. This would be a
moment of grace if the hierarchy includes everybody in the process, he
said.
The best politics, and the best public relations, is to do
the right thing, he said, that is, the true thing and the just
thing.
If the actions of Toledo priests are a barometer of their feelings
about whats just and true, their support for Fisher couldnt be
stronger. At an annual priests gathering two weeks ago, they revived an
old custom of giving an award, called the Tiger Award. They gave out 10
or 20 gag awards at the banquet last week, said one priest. Then
for the last one they got serious. They gave one for courage.
They gave it to Bob Fisher
and the assembly stood and
applauded.
-- Tom Kelly
National Catholic Reporter, July 5,
2002
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