Archdiocese of Los AngelesOffice ofThe
Archbishop
3424Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles California 90010-2241
 |
Our Commitment to the Protection
of
Young People
August 31, 2018
My brothers and
sisters in Christ,
In
the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, we are
committed to keeping our children safe
and providing a compassionate
environment in which victim-survivors of abuse by priests and other Church
personnel can come forward to seek justice and find healing.
In
the attachment to this letter, we offer background on what we have done and what we
continue to do to ensure the safety of
young people in our parishes, schools and other ministries. For a number of
years now, we have had in place a system for reporting and investigating suspected abuse by priests and for removing
offenders from ministry. In addition, we have an extensive program of education
and background checks to make sure our children are safe and aware of the signs
of abuse.
Our work is ongoing. I ask your prayers as we continue to
be vigilant in the protection of our children,
and as we continue to pray and seek healing
and justice for those who have been hurt.
May Jesus, through the intercession of
Mary, grant you peace.
Most Reverend Jose H. Gomez
Archbishop of Los Angeles
3424 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010 | phone: (213)
637-7215 | fax: (213) 637-6215 | Communications@la-archdiocese.org
A
Brief Overview of Archdiocesan Programs and Actions for the Protection of
Children and Young People
The
Archdiocese of Los Angeles is committed to providing a safe environment for
young people in our schools, parishes and other ministries.
Since
the early 2000s and even before that, the Archdiocese has had in place a
system for reporting and investigating suspected abuse by priests and for
removing offenders from ministry. We have also established an extensive program
of education and background checks to make sure our children are safe and cared
for.
Many
of our programs and policies were initiated under the leadership of Cardinal
Roger M. Mahony, who served as Archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 to 2011 and
is now retired.
During his time as Archbishop, Cardinal Mahony was confronted with the allegations of abuse by clergy that spanned a time frame of over seventy years. The majority of these cases involved abuses that allegedly occurred before he became Archbishop of Los Angeles in 1985.
However, he took responsibility for failures and mistakes in the way abuse cases were handled in the past and issued apologies to victims and to the people of the Archdiocese. He also instituted a strict “zero tolerance” policy to ensure that future allegations would be reported to authorities and that anyone found to have committed abuse — whether a priest, deacon, religious or lay person — would be held accountable and permanently removed from ministry in the Archdiocese.
In
2004, he directed the publication of the “Report to the People of God,” the
first time a U.S. diocese had issued a comprehensive listing of all clergy to
have been publicly or credibly accused of abuse from 1930–2003. Files of clergy
with credible abuse claims against them were made public in 2013, as part of a
global settlement the Archdiocese reached with victim- survivors of abuse in
2007.
Over
the years, Cardinal Mahony met with many victims personally and apologized to
them. He established the Office of Victim’s Assistance Ministry so that victim-survivors would have an advocate in the
Archdiocese. This vital ministry continues to provide support for victim-
survivors and their families and is also reports abuse to the authorities.
In
addition, he established the Clergy Misconduct Oversight Board (CMOB)
that is comprised primarily of lay people, including a victim-survivor of abuse
by clergy. CMOB reviews the investigations of reported misconduct by clergy
that is carried out by retired FBI agents retained by the Archdiocese and
recommends an appropriate course of action.
·
The allegation is reported to law enforcement; the Archdiocese
cooperates fully with the
investigation.
The accused priest or layperson is immediately removed from ministry pending the result of the investigation.
The accused priest or layperson is immediately removed from ministry pending the result of the investigation.
· Parishes or schools where the accused is serving are notified.
· In cases where the statute of limitations does not allow for criminal prosecution, retired FBI investigators retained by the Archdiocese investigate the matter and report to the Clergy Misconduct Oversight Board which makes final recommendations.
The
Archdiocese has also instituted abuse prevention and reporting programs for adults and minors; fingerprinting and background checks for employees and volunteers at parishes and schools; and
clergy formation programs to prevent abuse. A
toll-free number (800) 355-2545 was also established for reporting allegations
of sexual abuse by Church personnel. These
programs continue to serve as the backbone of abuse prevention and child safety
efforts in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles today.
Since
these programs were established 15 years ago, more than 329,000 adults have
been trained in abuse prevention and reporting; 1.4 million Catholic school
students have received age appropriate training that teaches them to
understand appropriate and inappropriate boundaries and gives them the tools
that empower them to take action and report if they feel uncomfortable, scared
or confused; and more than 168,000 adults have been
fingerprinted and undergone background checks.
These
programs and policies do not take away from the very real harm that was done
and the trust that has been broken in the Church. However, they are a testament
to the commitment of the people of the Archdiocese, the majority of whom are
lay Catholics who have worked for almost three decades to implement and carry
out these programs to ensure:
·
that abuse is reported to the police and investigated
regardless of the statute of
limitations;
·
that victim-survivors and their families receive healing
support; and
·
that anyone found to have abused a minor at anytime in
their lives, regardless of whether a
member of the clergy or a lay person, is not allowed to serve in any capacity
in the Archdiocese under zero tolerance.
In the
face of recent scandals involving child sexual abuse and the Catholic Church,
the Archdiocese of Los Angeles reaffirms our unwavering commitment to
the healing of victim- survivors of abuse and protection against abuse and
misconduct.
In order to address questions on
what we have done and continue to do regarding the issue of abuse, the
Archdiocese has compiled a timeline of efforts and actions taken since the
issue began to be addressed nationally in 1985.
For more information on the
Archdiocese’s policies and protocols concerning abuse prevention and support
for victim-survivors, visit www.archla.org/protecting.
TIMELINE OF ACTIONS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF CLERGY ABUSE IN THE ARCHDIOCESE
OF LOS ANGELES, 1985-2018
The following timeline details
the actions taken by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles since 1985 when the issue
of clergy sexual abuse was first addressed nationally by the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops and locally by the newly-appointed Archbishop of
Los Angeles, Roger Mahony. The chronology includes steps taken in response to
the abuse crisis faced in the Catholic Church and in the Archdiocese of Los
Angeles that began in 2002 that resulted in the adoption by the U.S. Bishops of
the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.
The Charter implemented Essential
Norms nationally for addressing sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests and
deacons and includes guidelines for reconciliation, healing, accountability,
prevention of future acts of abuse and an annual audit process. Each year, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has been found to be in full compliance with the
Charter.
June 1985 – U.S. Bishops, including then Bishop Roger Mahony who
was serving in the Diocese of Stockton, attended presentations at their annual
meeting on the dangers and issues of the sexual abuse of minors by clergy.
September 1985 – Bishop Mahony was installed as Archbishop of Los
Angeles. In view of the discussion at the Bishops’ annual meeting, he initiated
policies on sexual abuse of minors for the Archdiocese.
January 1986 – The Office of the Vicar for Clergy was
created in the Archdiocese to oversee all issues of Clergy life more
systematically.
June 1986 – During the Archdiocesan retreat for priests, Thomas J.
Shephard, Sr., an attorney from Stockton, was invited to speak about the facts
and dangers of sexual abuse of minors by clergy. Priests who felt they had any
problems or issues with the sexual abuse of minors were invited to meet with
the Archbishop. One priest, Michael Baker, met with Archbishop Mahony. The
tragic lessons of reliance on the unverified word of a priest which were
learned from the case of Michael Baker are reported as a case study in the Report to the People of God, a comprehensive report of
all clergy publicly or credibly accused of abuse from 1930-2003 which would be
voluntarily published by the Archdiocese in February 2004.
June 1989 – A policy on any misconduct involving a priest was
formally adopted for the first time as a result of dialogue with all priests of
the Archdiocese initiated in 1987. These were the first norms on sexual abuse
of minors issued in the Archdiocese. These norms were in place, enforced, and
revised and strengthened over the years. The current policies are found in the Administrative
Handbook of
the Archdiocese. The policy as originally adopted and continuing today requires
immediate investigation of any complaint, removal from ministry during any
investigation and pastoral outreach to the victims and their families. As
appropriate, priests were and continue to be required to undergo psychological
evaluation and treatment before any consideration of a return to ministry. In
the 1990s, parents of victims were encouraged to make a report to law enforcement
and the Archdiocese cooperated with any ensuing investigation. In 2002, the
policy was modified, and since then the Archdiocese initiates direct reports to
law enforcement and as mandated reporters if a report has not already been
made.
May 1994 – Cardinal Mahony announced the formation of the Sexual
Abuse Advisory Board (SAAB) comprised of laity and clergy, including parents of
a child victim and a therapist with expertise in sexual abuse and chaired by a
retired Judge of the Superior Court. SAAB was tasked with the responsibility of
reviewing all cases of clergy abuse pending in the Vicar for Clergy’s office
and providing feedback and recommendations to the Vicar and the Cardinal.
From 1994 to 2002 – The Archdiocese
continued to revise, expand and update policies and procedures, including a
policy that, going forward, no priest credibly accused of sexual abuse of a
minor would be returned to ministry.1 Other policies included reinforcing
the practice of offering therapy for victims of sexual abuse, procedures to
advise staff members and locations when a priest was no longer ministering,
training for priests as mandated and non-mandated reporters on matters of
potential child abuse, and background checks, including fingerprinting, for
current and future priests.
April 2002 – The Office of Victim’s Assistance Ministry was
established to deal with allegations of past or
current sexual abuse by clergy, religious or any lay person working or
volunteering for the Archdiocese. The Office is charged with creating a safe
and compassionate environment for victims to come forward while ensuring that
civil authorities are notified, and victims are provided with counseling and
other assistance in the healing process. As the Office became more visible and
established, it has also provided assistance and referrals to services for
other victims of abuse and has become an active participant in other
local and national social service outreach efforts and advisory groups.
June 2002 – As the U.S. Bishops
approved The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, Cardinal Mahony announced a Zero Tolerance Policy for the Archdiocese of Los
Angeles, which was later reaffirmed by Archbishop José H. Gomez. The Policy
states that no person whether clergy, paid personnel or volunteer, who has been
found to have abused a minor, at any time in their lives, may be in ministry in
any capacity in the Archdiocese.1 The
Archdiocesan policy on Zero Tolerance is more expansive than the standards in
the Charter and Norms.
June 2002 – The Archdiocese transitioned SAAB to the formal Clergy Misconduct Oversight Board (CMOB), which included an expansion of the number of
lay people and a formal operating agreement consistent with the requirements of
the Charter and Essential Norms. Going beyond the requirements of the Charter
and Essential Norms, CMOB continued to address matters of abuse of both minor
and adult victims. All reports of suspected child or adult sexual misconduct
were and continue to be handled and reviewed by CMOB with the Board making
direct disciplinary recommendations to the Archbishop, including
recommendations, when appropriate, that priests be removed from ministry or returned
to the lay state.
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1 This more
cautious approach went forward even though the USCCB in Restoring Trust in 1994 continued to offer suggestions for partial
ministry assignments and the Archdiocese also did not adopt the policy for
prior matters.
With the benefit of hindsight this was a mistake
by the Archdiocese; seven priests were allowed to remain in limited
ministry in 1995. From
1995-2000, no reports of misconduct or violations by any of these seven were
received so the presumption, found to be erroneous in 2000, was that they were
not harming anyone, and could continue ministry without being a danger to
others.
Summer 2002 – The Office of Safeguard the Children was
established to carry out mandates of the U.S. Bishops’ Charter and Norms
through Children and Youth Sexual Abuse Prevention Programs. It established a
Safeguard the Children Committee in each parish, offers abuse prevention and
reporting programs for both adults and minors, is proactive in distributing
educational information, and oversees activities and programs to commemorate
the annual Abuse Prevention Month in April.
July 2002 – The State of California enacted legislation that provided
a “window” to allow victims of abuse by clergy as minors to file civil claims
during 2003 without limits on when the abuse occurred. More than 500 claims
were brought naming the Archdiocese and various diocesan priests, religious
order men and women, religious orders and other entities.
Spring 2003 – Cardinal Mahony began meeting personally with
victim-survivors of abuse. Since 2003, Cardinal Mahony met with 92
victim-survivors, often together with Judge Charles “Tim” McCoy, Jr., to listen
to their stories and to offer them a personal apology and counseling for the
harm that had been done to them.
August 2003 – The Archdiocese engaged retired FBI special agents to
serve as independent canonical investigators to investigate all matters
involving clergy misconduct, regardless of when the incident occurred. Their
investigations became part of the Clergy Misconduct Oversight Board Review
process.
September 2003 – The Archdiocesan Policy on Sexual Abuse by Clergy was
updated to incorporate The Charter and Essential
Norms adopted by the Congregation of Bishops for dealing with allegations of
sexual abuse of minors. The Archdiocesan policy required that boundary
violations, whether or not recognized as reportable in civil law, would be
considered as misconduct and a violation of the policy. The Archdiocese Policy
also addresses allegations of misconduct with adults as well as children.
February 2004 – The Report to People of God was published by the
Archdiocese as a public acknowledgement of the scope of the abuse crisis in the
Archdiocese and to express regret for shortcomings in the response to abuse
that contributed to the scandal. The Report included a letter of apology from
Cardinal Mahony on his behalf and for all Archdiocesan leaders as well as case studies of known abusers and the
lessons learned from those cases. It reaffirmed the Archdiocese’s commitment to
develop and maintain best practices to deal with incidents of abuse and provide
support to victims of abuse.
July 2007 – The Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced a global
settlement of the more than 500 civil cases that had been filed against the
Archdiocese and various diocesan priests, religious order men and women,
religious orders and other entities as a result of the opening of the Statute
of Limitations.
March 2011 – Cardinal Mahony retired as Archbishop of Los Angeles.
Archbishop José H. Gomez was installed as Archbishop.
January 2013 – The Archdiocese released 128 clergy
files associated
with the global settlement, including 88 files for diocesan priests and 40
files for religious orders and extern priests.
Present - Since 2004, the Office of Safeguard the Children of the Archdiocese of Los
Angeles has trained more than 329,000 adults, including school parents, staff
and volunteers, in the VIRTUS® child abuse prevention adult awareness programs.
More than 168,000 adults have been fingerprinted as part of a program of
background checks for Church and school personnel and volunteers. Also, during
this time period, more than 1.4 million students have attended programs on
abuse prevention and reporting. Every year, students at Catholic elementary and
high schools, religious education, confirmation and youth ministry programs in
the Archdiocese of Los Angeles receive age-appropriate child abuse prevention
training. The “Empowering God’s Children” program is designed for Kindergarten
through 12th grade students. This program teaches children and young people to
understand appropriate and inappropriate boundaries and gives them the tools
that empower them to take action and report if they feel uncomfortable, scared
or confused.
The
Archdiocese also has a toll-free number (800) 355-2545 to facilitate the
confidential reporting of allegations of sexual abuse by Church personnel.
The Archdiocese continues its
commitment outlined in the Report to the People of God to be forthcoming and
enforce zero-tolerance by reporting abuse; cooperating actively with law
enforcement concerning any abuse and misconduct with minors or adults; removing
anyone who is found to have abused from ministry; making public announcements
to all impacted by any removals from ministry; expanding education and training
of seminarians; continuing and expanding protection and prevention programs;
assuring that all matters are reviewed and addressed by CMOB; and, most
importantly, supporting victims and their families.
For more information regarding the
programs and policies of the Archdiocese, visit the Protecting Children page of
the Archdiocesan website at www.archla.org/protecting.
