The Catholic Standard and Times
Michelle Laque Johnson, Editor-in-Chief
What happens to a priest after the Church removes him from ministry because of sexual abuse against minors in the past?
That is the question each diocese had to answer after the issuance of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, developed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops after their historic 2002 meeting in Dallas.
“I have found that there is concern among some of the Catholic faithful about what happens to a priest removed from ministry,” said Msgr. Timothy Senior, Vicar for Clergy. “In the spirit of the Bishops’ Charter, we believe it is important to address this question.”
Some priests will be laicized, meaning they will be deprived of the clerical state, where they can never again function in any way as a priest. The Archdiocese is publicizing the names of these former priests.
Others, especially if they have denied the accusations, are continuing to pursue all of their options under the Code of Canon Law.
“Some have expressed a willingness to live a supervised life of prayer and penance,” Msgr. Senior said. “That’s the program we needed to create -- not just for the sake of the priests, but especially for the good of the community.”
No such program previously existed. So the Archdiocese of Philadelphia turned to Thomas Dugan, administrator of the St. John Vianney Center in Downingtown, a treatment center that assists religious and clergy, to develop one.
Dugan and his clinical staff investigated programs across the country before turning to a model developed by the Colorado Department of Corrections and adapting it for use in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
The Colorado program was developed by Kim English, Director of the Office of Research for the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice.
“What appealed to me was that one of the main principles of this program is always to protect children and young people,” Dugan said. “In developing the program, [the Colorado Department of Corrections] always asked: How does this program protect people?”
While the program, which is in accord with the requirements of the Dallas charter, treats offending priests humanely, its primary emphasis is, and always will be, the protection of children.
To that end, offending priests can never again function as priests or administer any of the sacraments, wear clerical garb or preach. They cannot identify themselves as priests.
Instead of going where they want, and when they want, participants voluntarily agree to have their whereabouts monitored, to be open about what they do, and to undergo psychological evaluation and outsourced risk assessments. In some cases, they are also subject to polygraph tests.
“The main focus is to provide accountability and transparency,” Msgr. Senior said.
The men will live this supervised life of prayer and penance in the Annex to Villa St. Joseph, which is a 55-bed residential facility for retired priests in Darby.
The residents of the Annex must report where they are going, how long they will be there, and who they will be with. They must record all their activity weekly. A social work coordinator reviews their schedule and checks up on them. They must account for all time away from the Annex.
They also agree to develop a personal plan to address ongoing issues.
“In many cases, the allegations refer to incidents that occurred 20, 30, 40 or more years ago,” Dugan said. “Maybe they had therapy and worked through some of it. Still, we have to be vigilant. We’re not trying to criminalize them, but we’re aware that recovery is a longer-term proposition. They accept that. We and they as a group agree to be vigilant about it.”
There will also be an oversight panel, which will assess progress and evaluate concerns. The plan calls for the panel to consist of the local pastor in Darby (who gives any feedback he’s received from the surrounding community); the rector and administrator of Villa St. Joseph, as well as representatives from the archdiocesan Office for the Protection of Children and Young People; the Office of the Vicar for Clergy, and Catholic Health Care Services of the Archdiocese.
“The program helps the residents understand how they can live out their vocation in a new way,” Msgr. Senior said.
What can the priests do?
“They live a life of communal prayer in this residence and celebrate Mass privately every day together,” Msgr. Senior said. “We believe in the grace of conversion. We believe in the power of prayer. I think their prayers will bear fruit for the good of the Church in ways we don’t even know yet.”
Says Dugan: “Part of their time is to pray that people will be healed.”
While they have given up ministry, the men can do volunteer service, developed in dialogue with those running this program, on behalf of their fellow priests.“They are not permitted on school grounds or places where children gather, such as arcades,” Dugan said. “They can’t help out in a local school with CCD. But they can help out at the nearby Villa St. Joseph in the retirement center. They can drive elderly priests to doctor’s appointments and read to those who can’t read anymore. In other words, they can be of service to their own brothers in retirement.”
They are asked to live a more transparent life and to come to see scrutiny as support.
“It’s not easy for the priests to face what they have done,” Dugan said. “Some of these men have a problem not only with what they did, but with the fact that it can’t be undone. It’s a lesson for all of us who have hurt someone. They have to live with that for the rest of their lives.”Ten men have voluntarily accepted the challenge of living in the Annex. Another 10, because of their age and disability, are completely retired and live in the main building of Villa St. Joseph. For these older priests, Saint John Vianney Center works with the Villa staff to ensure accountability 24/7. A few of these men are too disabled to leave the residence.
While they can’t undo their past, the men in the Annex are facing up to it. How do the priests feel about themselves?
“All have a great deal of shame,” Dugan said. “They realize that they have injured somebody, as well as their victims’ families. They’ve also hurt their own families. They feel shame in front of their colleagues.
“Some feel broken. They know they have to live their life in a different way from when they were ordained. It’s overwhelming.”
However, the program offers a chance for redemption while being good for the protection of young people. Dugan said he understands the hurt and the wish to punish that some victims and some of the faithful feel.
But he also says: “As a Catholic, I believe in forgiveness and redemption. I believe this is what we’re about. We’re trying to offer a place of forgiveness where people can be redeemed even though their past behavior was reprehensible.
“Professionally, I believe that this program insures the protection of children and young people and that it gives the individual a real opportunity to live a life of prayer and penance.”
2 June 2005