News

Diocese complies with charter

By Jeff Kurowski
Compass Assistant Editor

	Website links ... • The full Report on the Implementation of the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" is available at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' website, www.usccb.org. • The report on the Green Bay Diocese and information on its compliance, as well as current practices and policies are available at the diocesan website www.gbdioc.org.

Bp. David Zubik happily announced Tuesday morning that the Diocese of Green Bay is in full compliance with the U.S. bishops' "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People," but he also emphasized that it is only the first step in restoring trust in how the Church of Green Bay and the Church of the United States is responding to sexual misconduct issues.

"There are plans for all dioceses to be audited every year," he said. "This is just the beginning. We want to be as responsive as we possibly can. My heart goes out to those who are victims of abuse, especially those in pain caused by a trusted member of the church. We need to make sure that doesn't happen again."

In a preliminary audit report, the Diocese of Green Bay received three instructions and one recommendation from auditors to be completed by Nov. 15.

The first instruction directed the diocese to develop a code of pastoral conduct with standards of ministerial behavior and appropriate boundaries for clergy and other church personnel.

In response, nearly 1,000 copies of the document, Maintaining Boundaries, featuring updated diocesan policies on sexual abuse, were distributed to priests, deacons, diocesan employees and volunteers on Nov. 14. The document includes a code of pastoral conduct.

"The code of conduct speaks of particular behaviors," said Bp. Zubik. "They may appear to be common sense, but they are very important behaviors and cautions that must be taken. For example, never invite a student to be in a room with you by yourself. Even if it is something that is very innocent, it's important to raise those issues. You need to be aware."

The second instruction called for the implementation of a safe environment program for training children and young people about the issue of sexual abuse. A program was created for pre-k through grade five Catholic school and religious education classes using models from the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Diocese of Mobile, Ala. A program for grades 6-12 was created from a model from St. Mary's Press in Winona, Minn. The diocese is also adopting curriculum from the Diocese of Venice, Fl.

"We've worked with some of the sexual assault centers," said Lee Nagel, diocesan director of Total Catholic Education. "Their personnel are coming to our schools and talking in the classrooms. All of our schools and catechetical programs invite parents to visit to see what is going on."

The most vivid response to the sexual misconduct crisis on behalf of the Diocese of Green Bay is the nationally recognized VIRTUS Program, said Nagel.

"A lot of our parents who volunteer have been through the program," he said. "It's a video-assisted, 3-3½ hour program, and is open to anyone."

The VIRTUS Program fulfilled the only recommendation from the preliminary audit report, focusing on the need for safe environment training for all relevant personnel. Since last April, more than 5,000 priests, deacons, employees and volunteers have completed the program, which provides instruction on how to recognize the warning signs of potential sexual abusers; how to detect signs of sexual abuse in children, young people and vulnerable adults; and what action is to be taken. The diocese will hold 15 more training sessions during January. Training will continue for all new clergy, staff and volunteers.

The third instruction directed the diocese to facilitate background screenings on all personnel and volunteers. More than 7,600 background checks have been completed.

Anyone who works or volunteers for the church and has yet to complete the forms for background checks will do so by the end of January, said Sr. Mary Bride Grubbs, ANG, chancellor and victim assistance coordinator for the diocese.

"If there is concern about any individual, it will be addressed immediately," she said.

The diocese received a revised audit report from the Office of Child and Youth Protection on Monday, Jan. 5. The revised report included a second recommendation, which Bp. Zubik believes was made in error. The second recommendation is similar to the first instruction, which directs the diocese to finalize a code of pastoral conduct.

Bp. Zubik said the report by no means is a case of the church policing itself.

"This was an outside process," he said. "Steps were taken by an outside firm. The Gavin Group of Massachusetts was hired. It's an independent organization of 57 auditors, of which, I believe, 54 are former FBI agents. This report should provide reassurance that steps are being taken."

Auditors spent a week in October in the Green Bay Diocese interviewing Bp. Robert Banks and other diocesan personnel. The auditors were also given access to interview victims and to obtain information from the district attorney's office. Bp. Zubik was interviewed by auditors while serving as vicar general in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

"I can assure you that they asked for in-depth, detailed answers," he said. "They were extremely thorough."

A victim's group released a negative statement about the report three hours before Bp. Zubik's announcement.

"If we are going to resolve an issue as critical as this one," the bishop said in response, "we really do have to be on the middle of the bridge to trust each other. It just seems to me that there has to be something fairer than criticizing the report before it's released. I'm well aware that there's a lot of pain. As one of the bishops, the leaders of our church, I'm all ears."

Bp. Zubik added that the sexual abuse of minors is a broad-based issue and the work of the Catholic Church can open doors with other faith communities and civic leaders to address the issue across the board.

"What began as a great tragedy for the Catholic Church, and, in part, by responding to this issue internally," he said, "will be of help to the rest of the society."