Washington D.C., Dec 14, 2007 / 10:09 am
The National Review Board (NRB) on Thursday made public its five-year report on the American church’s handling of clergy sexual abuse of minors. The board found that the bishops’ overall approach has been “strong”, but that there still remains much work to be done.
The report, addressed to U.S. Catholics, describes itself as “a record of accomplishments, unfinished work, and challenges that lie ahead.”
The National Review Board is a lay body that was established by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in response to the sexual abuse crisis among clergy.
The report found praiseworthy the USCCB audit process that examines dioceses and eparchies to ensure that they are following the standards of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which the bishops created in 2002. “Those audits provide substantial evidence of the bishops’ efforts to protect children and respond to the abuses of the past and present,” the report said.