Press Office Statements regarding sex abuse cases

Fr Federico Lombardi, Vatican Press Office Director, Editorial L'Osservatore Romano
(09 Apr 10 - RV) The Head of the Press Office of the Holy See, Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi has published an essay in the Vatican Newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, in which he addressed the ongoing crisis of sexual abuse of minors:

"The crisis concerning sexual abuse, and not only that committed by the clergy, continues with news items and comments of various kinds. How can we navigate these stormy waters while maintaining a secure course and responding to the evangelical motto 'Duc in altum - Put out into the deep'?

In the first place, by continuing to seek truth, and peace for the victims. One of the most striking things is that today so many inner wounds are coming to light, wounds that also date back to many years (sometimes decades) ago, but evidently still open, Many victims do not seek financial compensation but inner assistance, a judgement on their painful individual experiences. There is something that we have yet to fully understand; perhaps we need a more profound experience of events that have had such a negative impact on the lives of individuals, of the Church and of society. One example of this, at the collective level, is the hatred and violence of conflicts between peoples which are, as we see, so difficult to overcome in true reconciliation. Abuse opens wounds at a deep inner level. For this reason, certain episcopates were right when they courageously resumed developing ways and places in which victims could express themselves freely, listening to them without taking it for granted that the problem had already been faced and overcome by the crisis centres established sometime ago. For this reason also, other episcopates and individual bishops were right to intervene with caring attention, showing spiritual, liturgical and human concern for victims. It seems certain that the number of new accusations of abuse is falling, as is happening in the United States, but for many people the road to profound healing is only now beginning, and for others it has yet to start. In the context of this concern for victims, the Pope has written of his readiness to hold new meetings with them, thus sharing in the journey of the entire ecclesial community. But this journey, in order to achieve profound effects, must take place in a climate of respect for people and the search for peace.

Alongside concern for victims we must continue to implement, decisively and truthfully, the correct procedures for the canonical judgement of the guilty, and for collaborating with the civil authorities in matters concerning their judicial and penal competencies, taking the specific norms and situations of the various countries into account. Only in this way can we hope effectively to rebuild a climate of justice and complete trust in the ecclesiastical institution. It has happened that a number of leaders of communities and institutions, through inexperience or lack of preparation, have not had a ready understanding of the protocols and criteria for intervention which could have helped them intervene decisively even when this was very difficult or painful for them. But, while civil law intervenes through general norms, canon law must take account of the specific moral gravity of an abuse of the trust placed in persons who hold positions of responsibility within the ecclesial community, and of the flagrant contradiction with the conduct they should show. In this sense, transparency and rigour are urgent requirements for wise and just government within the Church.

The formation and selection of candidates for the priesthood, and more generally of the staff of educational and pastoral institutions, is the basis for an effective prevention of the risk of future abuses. Achieving a healthy maturity of the personality, also from a sexual point of view, has always been a difficult challenge, but today it is particularly so, although the best psychological and medical knowledge is of great help in spiritual and moral formation. It has been observed that the greatest frequency of abuses coincided with the most intense period of the 'sexual revolution' of past decades. Formation must take account of this context and of the more general context of secularisation. In the final analysis, this means rediscovering and reaffirming the meaning and importance of sexuality, chastity and emotional relationships in today's world, and doing so in concrete, not just verbal or abstract, terms. What a source of disorder and suffering their violation or undervaluation can be! As the Pope observed in his Letter to Irish Catholics, a Christian priestly life today can respond to the requirements of its vocation only by truly nourishing itself at the wellspring of faith and friendship with Christ.

People who love truth and the objective evaluation of problems will know where to seek and find information for a more overall comprehension of the problem of paedophilia and the sexual abuse of minors in our time, in different countries, understanding its range and pervasiveness. Thus they will be able to achieve a better understanding of the degree to which the Catholic Church shares problems that are not only her own, to what extent they have particular gravity for her and require specific interventions, and, finally, the extent to which the experience the Church is going through in this field may also be useful for other institutions or for society as a whole. In this context, we truly feel that the communications media have not yet worked sufficiently, especially in countries in which the Church has a stronger presence and in which she is more easily subject to criticism. Yet, documents such as the national US report on the mistreatment of children deserve to be better known in order to understand what fields require urgent social intervention, and the proportions of the problem. In the U.S.A. in 2008 alone, 62,000 people were identified as having committed acts of abuse against minors, while the proportion of Catholic priests was so small as not to be taken into consideration as a group.

The protection of minors and young people is, then, an immense and unlimited field, which goes well beyond the specific problem concerning certain members of the clergy. People who sensitively, generously and attentively dedicate their efforts to this problem deserve gratitude, respect and encouragement from everyone, especially from the ecclesial and civil authorities. Theirs is an essential contribution for the serenity and credibility of the education and formation of young people, both inside and outside the Church. The Pope rightly expressed words of great appreciation for them in his Letter to Irish Catholics, though naturally with a view to a vaster horizon.

Finally, Pope Benedict XVI, a coherent guide along the path of rigour and truth, merits all respect and support, testimony of which is reaching him from all parts of the Church. He is a pastor well capable of facing - with great rectitude and confidence - this difficult time in which there is no lack of criticism and unfounded insinuations. It must be said that he is a Pope who has spoken a lot about the Truth of God and about respect for truth; and he has become a credible witness of this. We accompany him, learning from him the constancy necessary to grow in truth and transparency, continuing to open our horizons to the serious problems of the world and responding patiently to the slow and gradual release of partial or presumed 'revelations' which seek to undermine his credibility, and that of other institutions or individuals of the Church.

This patient and solid love of truth is necessary, in the Church, in the society in which we live, in communicating and in writing, if we wish to serve rather than confuse our fellow men and women".
 

 
Mueller case
(07 Apr 10 - RV) In response to questions from reporters about the case of the former bishop of Trondheim, Monsignor Georg Mueller, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr Federico Lombardi S.J., issued the following statement:


I confirm the information given in the press statement released by the Apostolic Administrator of Trondheim (Norway), Bishop Bernd Eidsvig regarding the former bishop of Trondheim, Mgr Georg Mueller, Bishop of the Diocese from 1997 to 2009.


The story concerns a case of sexual abuse of a child in the early 1990’s, which came to the attention of church authorities in January 2009. The issue was addressed and dealt with promptly through the Stockholm Nunciature, by mandate of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In May 2009, the Bishop offered his resignation which was promptly accepted by the Holy Father, and in June left the diocese. He underwent a period of therapy and no longer carries out pastoral activities. From the standpoint of civil law the case fell into prescription. The victim, now an adult, has so far always asked to remain anonymous.


Teta case:
(03 Apr 10 - RV) Vatican Press Office Director, Fr Federico Lombardi, has issued a statement regarding recent media reports on the case of Rev. Michael Teta of the Diocese of Tucson Arizona.


In the statement Fr Lombardi notes “some newspapers have recently reported on the "Teta case", of abuse by a priest of the Diocese of Tucson in the 1970's. Much of the reportage has been misleading”.


He writes “The Diocese of Tucson contacted the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith regarding the case, because it regarded the canonical crime of solicitation in the confessional. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith took an active interest in the case throughout the 1990’s, in order to guarantee that the Church trial underway in the Diocese of Tucson was properly completed. The trial was completed in 1997. The cleric in question was found guilty and laicized. The evidence clearly and certainly shows this. The Bishop of Tucson, Bishop Kicanas had already stated as much in response to local press inquiries. Published letters from the CDF confirm this”.


Fr Lombardo goes on to note that Fr. Teta, however, presented an appeal. “His appeal reached the Congregation Tribunal during a period in which the revision of the canonical norms previously in force had already started. The appeals were therefore pending until the entry into force of new legislation in 2001, which resulted in all cases of "serious crimes" being placed under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for a faster and more secure treatment”.


Murphy case
(25 Mar 10 – RV): The following is the full text of the statement given to the New York Times on March 24, 2010:


The tragic case of Father Lawrence Murphy, a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee,
involved particularly vulnerable victims who suffered terribly from what he did. By sexually
abusing children who were hearing-impaired, Father Murphy violated the law and, more
importantly, the sacred trust that his victims had placed in him.


During the mid-1970s, some of Father Murphy’s victims reported his abuse to civil
authorities, who investigated him at that time; however, according to news reports, that
investigation was dropped. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was not informed ofthe matter until some twenty years later.


It has been suggested that a relationship exists between the application of Crimen
sollicitationis and the non-reporting of child abuse to civil authorities in this case. In fact, thereis no such relationship. Indeed, contrary to some statements that have circulated in the press,neither Crimen nor the Code of Canon Law ever prohibited the reporting of child abuse to law enforcement authorities.


In the late 1990s, after over two decades had passed since the abuse had been reported to diocesan officials and the police, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was presented for the first time with the question of how to treat the Murphy case canonically.


The Congregation was informed of the matter because it involved solicitation in the confessional, which is a violation of the Sacrament of Penance. It is important to note that the canonical question presented to the Congregation was unrelated to any potential civil or criminal proceedings against Father Murphy.


In such cases, the Code of Canon Law does not envision automatic penalties, but
recommends that a judgment be made not excluding even the greatest ecclesiastical penalty of dismissal from the clerical state (cf. Canon 1395, no. 2). In light of the facts that Father Murphy was elderly and in very poor health, and that he was living in seclusion and no allegations of abuse had been reported in over 20 years, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith suggested that the Archbishop of Milwaukee give consideration to addressing the situation by, for example, restricting Father Murphy’s public ministry and requiring that Father Murphy accept full responsibility for the gravity of his acts. Father Murphy died approximately four months later, without further incident.