Setting the Record Straight: Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta Discusses Role of then-Cardinal Ratzinger in Responding to Clerical Sexual Abuse Crisis in US Church

(12 Apr 10 - RV) (12 Apr 10 - RV) Following the emergence of a widespread clerical sexual abuse crisis in the United States in the early 2000’s, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops put in place severe policies for dealing with abusers and specially-designed programs to protect children and educate the faithful about reporting abuse and creating safe environments. The bishops also commissioned the John Jay College of Criminal Justice to investigate the root causes of the crisis. The then-president of the USCCB, Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta spoke with us about the role of then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in helping the bishops’ efforts to secure justice for victims and repair the clerical culture:

Archbishop Gregory: If I can capture the sentiment of the bishops of the United States at that moment, and I believe now: we were convinced that the only way that we could re-establish confidence and trust in priestly ministry was to assure our faithful that no one who had a credible allegation would be permitted to function as a priest in a pastoral situation, no matter when that allegation had taken place, so that we were really driven by a desire to safeguard children.

Q: What kind of contact with Rome did you have during those years, and can you talk with us a little bit about the relationship that you developed with curial officials during that critical period?

Archbishop Gregory: First of all, I was very grateful for the reception I received as president, as one of the officers of the conference, on every visit I made to the Holy See. The curial officials asked difficult questions, as well they should have, in order to fulfil their responsibilities from a variety of perspectives in Church life, but I must say that the one individual – if I had to cite one – who seemed to grasp the severity of the issue, to be most supportive of the direction that we were taking, and to encourage us to complete the work that we had begun, was Cardinal Ratzinger.

Q: Can you talk with us a little more about that specific relationship, your relationship with then-Cardinal Ratzinger: did you get the kind of help that you were looking for, that you needed – that you felt you needed?

Archbishop Gregory: In the course of my three (3) years as president [of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops], I made thirteen (13) different trips to Rome, and I almost always had a private meeting with Cardinal Ratzinger. H[is] was, without a doubt, the most supportive voice at the table, and [he] always seemed to possess the greatest comprehension of the seriousness and the significance of reacting and responding with a strong action.

Q: Did you have any specific input from then-Cardinal Ratzinger and/or the other heads of Dicastery as you were drafting the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and working through the implementation phase of your new policies?

Archbishop Gregory: The American bishops drafted that document, but the Cardinal was certainly very supportive of the thrust of our work. Obviously, the details needed to be reviewed not merely by Cardinal Ratzinger, but by the other heads of the dicasteries, and so there were points of discussion – but in the long run, his was a voice of incredible importance to convince his confreres in the Curia. He gave us the kind of support and the kind of encouragement that allowed us to keep pushing forward.