Heightened Tensions over the Church Sexual Abuse Crisis

[Gabika50]

The Bishop’s Conference in these days though being reigned in frrom making decisions by the Vatican, can see itself as other than “branch managers” by making basic changes across the board in the physical structures of offices versus Rectories:

1. Offices must be in a separate building from the rectory (living quarters) of the priests and have a desk or table between the client and priest or religious.
2. All office doors must have a see though window
3. Allow no minors in priest living quarters without another adult physically present at all times
4. Use the confessional for confessions- one side no screen; one side screen; no same room confessions
5. Clergy and religious will not spend over night retreats sleeping in the same room with minors
6. Process the guilty to the fullest extent of the law in the criminal sense
7. Pay victims for medical, legal and psychological expenses related to the abuse for life by use of a health insurance, not multi-million dollar lump sums which bankrupt dioceses, and force them to sell off Church buildings for profane use (Chicago, New York, Detroit et cetera) as this only group punishes the faithful.
8. Process false accusations to the fullest extent of the law (both criminal and civil.)
   In this way, everynody is protected. One old priest in DC told his young associate “I refuse to live in a fortress”. After the associate ( who was in a t shirt and shorts had parishioners just enter the kitchen in the morning without knocking while he was eating breakfast),the associate responded “I cannot live in a barn.” The rectory is a house for the priests, not the people!!!