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Policy
Regarding Sexual Abuse Against Minors by Priests or
Deacons Diocese of Brooklyn (pdf format)
Procedures
Regarding Sexual Abuse Against Minors by Priests or
Deacons Diocese of Brooklyn (pdf format)
DALLAS A YEAR LATER
June 10, 2003
Dearly Beloved in Christ:
A
year ago this week, the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops, meeting in Dallas, approved the historic
Charter for the Protection of Children and Young
People,
which set the course for a communal response
to the tragic and devastating effects of the sexual abuse
of minors by clergy.
A second vital document, Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial
Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of
Minors by Priests or Deacons,
mandated a series of actions
designed to address situations in which the sexual abuse of
minors has been alleged.
The victims and their loved ones
have suffered much anguish.
As Church, our hearts and souls have been wrenched by an awareness of what they
have endured. How can we ever cease
praying for
them and offering assistance for their spiritual, emotional and physical well-being?
The answer is: We can never stop doing so. I
pray we never will.
In implementing the bishops’ directives,
which were
addressed to our country’s archdioceses and dioceses, I became vividly aware
once again that members of the faithful are generous beyond question and eager
beyond a doubt to assist the Church when asked. This was abundantly clear, for
example, in
appointing a Diocesan Review Board to serve as a confidential consultative
body to me as the Diocesan Bishop regarding allegations of
sexual abuse of minors.
As we reported in February, Professor
Bernard G. Helldorfer
of St. John’s University, an attorney, agreed to chair the board, comprised of
eight individuals of outstanding integrity and good judgment. I can assure you
that he and his
associates have
undertaken their responsibilities with great diligence and sensitivity, drawing insights from
their varied professional careers. They are a blessing to us
in this critical work.
In March, I was pleased to announce
the appointment of
Sister Ellen Patricia Finn, O.P., associate executive director of Catholic
Charities, to coordinate assistance for the immediate pastoral care of persons
who claim clergy have sexually abused them as minors. I am grateful
for her
willingness to assume this challenging pastoral role. She continues to be
available to receive information and fulfill her function. Her phone
number is (718) 722-6050.
On several occasions since February--the
most recent last
week--a nine-member Committee for Education toward Awareness and Prevention of
Sexual Abuse, which Sister Jane Ann Scanlon, C.N.D., Vice Chancellor, chairs,
has conducted “safe
environment” workshops.
They are designed to train persons representing the Diocese to detect
patterns of behavior that indicate that young people are in
danger of being abused.
Sister Jane and her associates have
proceeded carefully
in implementing
the Virtus “Protecting God’s Children” program and adapting it to our
diverse, multi-cultural Diocese. I am indebted to them for their
initiatives on our behalf.
For a number of months, a small group
of advisors, directed
by Msgr. Andrew J. Vaccari, the Chancellor, has studied the U.S. bishops’
Charter
and Norms
and has used those documents to formulate a revision of the
1987 diocesan policies and procedures for responding to issues of
sexual abuse of minors.
I am pleased to announce that, having
received input from
the Diocesan Review Board, I have approved the revision and will promulgate
it by
publishing the new procedures and policies in the June 21 issue
of The Tablet. The document will also be placed on
the diocesan Web site:
dioceseofbrooklyn.org. I am grateful to all who have collaborated
on this important project.
The U.S. bishops will convene in
St. Louis next week for
their annual Spring meeting. As we come together to discuss and act on matters
essential to
the development
of the Church in our country, I ask you to pray
that our deliberations will be fruitful in building up His
kingdom in our midst.
I also want to assure you that
your prayers and
support energize the preponderant number of priests who faithfully and
often heroically
serve the Church in our Diocese, and indeed everywhere, without moral
blemish. They are worthy of your continued concern for them
in their pastoral ministry.
On many occasions, I have spoken
about my love for the
priests of our Diocese.
I do
so again, not out of obligation, but out of fraternal respect
and admiration. May they flourish in their apostolic mission and
may their numbers increase.
I
close with a prayer for all the faithful of our beloved
Diocese. And may I ask with deep humility that you
remember me in yours.
ON WAR IN IRAQ
March 20, 2003
With our country now
fully engaged in war with Iraq, I pray for all who
are placed in harm’s way: our military men and women
and the Iraqi civilians. Let us storm heaven
with prayers that this devastating event will end quickly
and that the Iraqi people can soon be able to begin
a new life marked by freedom, not fear.
DEATH OF COLUMBIA ASTRONAUTS
Feb. 3, 2003
I pray for the repose of the souls of
the seven Columbia astronauts who perished today, leaving
a nation that is grateful for the ultimate sacrifice
they made in search of unraveling more of the mystery
of God's universe, and leaving grieving families who
will cherish memories of precious time spent with these
courageous loved ones who are now home with God.
May knowledge of God's unending love for them console
the families of the fallen space heroes.
CATHOLIC PRESS
MONTH
Feb.1, 2003
Dear Brothers
and Sisters in the Lord:
Allow me to open this
message about February as Catholic Press Month by thanking the readers of The
Tablet who contributed more than $111,000 to the 2002 Bright Christmas Appeal.
It was the largest amount of money contributed to the annual project since it
began more than 30 years
ago.
As you may know, The Tablet
distributes the funds to parishes and agencies throughout the Diocese, who in
turn use the gifts to meet appropriate local needs at Christmas. The Tablet is
pleased to be a conduit between its readers and people in need, while bearing
all the promotional costs associated with conducting the appeal.
It is this kind of intimate relationship with our family
of faith that makes The Tablet, now observing its 95th
anniversary, a significant member of our diocesan community.
And service to the faithful has been the guiding force
behind its steady, week-by-week journalistic effort
to inform, educate and inspire readers over these many
years.
Covering news, offering
opinion and seeking commentary on Church life on the international, national and
local levels for readers in our large, active and ethnically diverse Diocese is
the challenge The Tablet’s staff members face as they prepare each issue.
Despite a small editorial staff, the paper responds to the challenge
admirably.
In
his 2003 World Communications Day message, Pope John Paul II states that the
media “constitute the modern arena in which ideas are shared and people can grow
in mutual understanding and solidarity.” The Tablet strives to be a
responsible member of that
arena.
At this
time, I wish to thank all who contribute to making The Tablet a valuable entity
in our Diocese---the business and editorial staffs, board of directors, pastors
and their associates, contributing writers, advertisers and subscribers. It is a
collaborative effort that rewards readers every
week.
Urging
your continued support for our diocesan newspaper,
I am,
Sincerely
and gratefully in Christ,
Most
Reverend Thomas V. Daily, D.D.
Bishop
of Brooklyn
Statements of Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio
News
Releases
Bishop's Statements This Year
Bishop's Statements 2002
Bishop's Statements 2001
Bishop's Statements 1999
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