On 4 April 2002, Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua announced the creation of a commission to review matters related to incidents of clerical sexual misconduct, called The Commission on the Protection of Children and Clerical Conduct. At a news conference held at the Archdiocesan Office Center in Philadelphia, Cardinal Bevilacqua said, "This Commission will work over the next six months reviewing current archdiocesan policies and procedures regarding care for victims, archdiocesan response to allegations of clergy sexual abuse and programs for formation and continuing education of clergy. I invite all the faithful of the Archdiocese as well as all people of good will to join me in prayer for the successful completion of the work of this Commission."
The commission was chaired by Ms. Helen Alvare , a professor of law at Catholic University in Washington D.C. who is nationally recognized for her work on pro-life issues. From 1990 to 2000, Ms. Alvare served as a Policy Director for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Pro-Life Office. President George W. Bush appointed Ms. Alvare to a commission to advise the head of Health and Human Services regarding research about children's health and welfare. Ms. Alvare is a native of the Philadelphia area and a graduate of Villanova University and Cornell University School of Law. Ms. Alvare said, "I hope and I pray that my years of work in law, in Church life and in the public square may bear good fruit in this, perhaps the most significant task I will ever be asked to undertake after being a wife and a mother to three young children."
The Commission had the general charge of undertaking a review of current policies and procedures regarding clerical misconduct and recommending revisions and additional policies, procedures or programmatic initiatives for the consideration of the Cardinal. The review included current policies and procedures regarding the care for victims, current policies and procedures regarding the Archdiocesan response to any allegation of clergy sexual abuse, current admission process for candidates for Holy Orders for the Archdiocese as well as relevant formation programs.
[Click here to read the full text of the Charge establishing the Commission.]
Other members of the Commission were:
Hon. Arlin Marvin Adams
Retired Judge, US Court of Appeals for the Third District
Ana Maria Catanzaro, R.N., Ph.D.
Research Fellow in Religion/Spirituality and Health, Duke University
Michael J. Emmi
Retired CEO, Systems & Computer Technology Corporation
Angelo P. Giardino, M.D., Ph.D.
Pediatrician, Saint Christopher's Hospital for Children
David Ingle, Psy.D., M.A.
Licensed clinical psychologist in Pennsylvania and Rhode Island
Philip Jenkins, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of History and Religious Studies, The Pennsylvania State University
Joan Reeves, M.S.W., M.P.A.
Field Consultation Manager, Child Welfare League of America
Anne Leigh Shenberger, L.S.W., M.S.S.
Director, Southeast Region, Office of Children, Youth and Families (PA Dept of Public Welfare)
John F. Timoney
Former Commissioner, Philadelphia Police Department
The Commission issued Interim Recommendations on 16 September 2002. The final Report of the Commission was submitted on 15 January 2003. It includes a summary of the situation in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, as well as numerous recommendations.
The full text of the Report is available in html format.