Failure of the USCCB 2002 Dallas Charter for the protection of people from sexual abuse

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otrrl

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The Charter was not passed until a clause applying the charter to the bishops themselves was removed. They feebly argued that they had no authority over each other as they did over the priests in their dioceses, according to canon law.

That is how the scandals have persisted, even the notorious problems with Theodore McCarrick.

Think.

What was wrong with the 2002 charter? The bishops could have gone one step farther and pledged themselves, each of them, to apply the standards of the charter to themselves. But, they didn’t, even as a symbolic gesture.

On the other hand, the Pope has recently said that the bishops and priests have to solve the problems of sexual misconduct and sexual abuse themselves, with zero tolerance, and with transparency. So, what could that mean? Well, it should mean that the bishops should not restrict themselves to any limitations of canon law.

The bishops are appointed by the Pope, but they are accountable to God. They should act that way.
 
otrrl said:
That is how the scandals have persisted, even the notorious problems with Theodore McCarrick.
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The incident with Cardinal McCarrick since the charter involved adult seminarians. The Dallas Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People dealt with sexual abuse of minors. It did not address what McCarrick did, along with priests who have affairs, steal from their parish or do any other number of heinous acts.

By the way, everyone is aware, I hope, that Pope Francis did remove McCarrick as cardinal, I hope. He has been assigned penance and prayer in an enclosed friary, forbidden from any ministry or appearance in public.
 
A friend from Illinois sent me a page of the newspaper The Chicago Catholic, in today’s mail. This issue included the Sept 23 homily from Card. B. Cupich. In it, he questioned whether the bishops would “grow up” and fix these problems, including dealing with victim survivors.

Those are his printed words – grow up.

Just in the afternoon news.

priest in Saginaw who pleaded guilty to six felonies and one misdemeanor withdraws his guilty plea. Will head to trial.

 
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