Washington D.C., Nov 13, 2003 / 22:00 pm
The release of three news studies in priestly sexual abuse in early 2004 means the U.S. bishops will face “hard and sad times ahead,” said Bishop Wilton Gregory of Chicago, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The bishop made this comment on the closing day of the USCCB semi-annual general meeting yesterday.
The first study by the National Review Board, due Jan. 6, is an audit of how each diocese has fared in its compliance with the charter to protect children and youth, which the bishops adopted in June 2002.
The second study, to be released Feb. 27, is causing the most anxiety among the bishops. It was conducted by criminologists at John Jay College, based on interviews with bishops, victims and offenders and it includes all of the known allegations of sexual abuse of minors by priests in the past 50 years.
Bishops have expressed concern that false accusations would be lumped in with real ones, that no distinction would be made between sex crimes and conduct that was inappropriate but not illegal, and that the responses of 50 years ago would be judged by the standards of today.