Off to good start

U.S. Catholic bishops' approval last week of the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" and the enforcing norms or laws provide a good first step in dealing with the church's sexual abuse scandal and the bishops should be commended.

It was particularly heartening -- as Bp. Robert Banks told reporters June 14 in a teleconference after the morning session -- that the bishops voted down all amendments that would have weakened the charter.

The charter clearly states that immediate outreach and aid to victims of abuse is the church's first priority. It also notifies priests, the church as a whole and the public that there is no place in the ministerial priesthood for abusers. The charter includes strict requirements to notify civil authorities of all allegations of abuse and virtually bans secret cash settlements with victims.

The charter also calls for preventive measures, including tougher screening of seminarians and background checks on all church workers who deal with children. It strengthens transfer policies for priests who move to different dioceses and orders dioceses to set up independent review boards to make sure the policies are followed.

The attention now shifts back to each of the nation's dioceses and to Rome, which will need to approve any changes in canon law, such as provisions dealing with laicizing abusive priests. It's up to U.S. cardinals and conference leaders to lobby Vatican officials to grant the necessary approvals.

The emphasis in dioceses will be on putting the charter into effect. Bp. Banks assured reporters last week that most elements in the charter are already in place in Green Bay or were covered in the Record Review Task Force's report. Last month, the diocese released that report, which was printed in last week's Compass and is posted on the diocese's website.

Much work remains to be done in setting up a review board, conducting background checks, providing "safe environment" education and training programs, and helping victims of abuse to heal. We, the church, also need healing and reconciliation.

Beyond that, it would be a serious error to think a small percentage of priests were responsible for all child abuse. Indeed, most abuse occurs in families and we all must work to end the abuse of children wherever it occurs.

Efforts also must continue to understand how the abuse problem came to be so severe and what can be done to avoid a recurrence. Bishops also face a serious challenge in restoring trust among Catholics. That will probably include the bishops approving policies giving the laity a greater role in financial, personnel and administrative decisions.

Dallas represents a good start, but it can't end there.