Vatican official: Keep abuse charges secret

Associated Press

ROME — Roman Catholic bishops should avoid telling congregations their parish priests sexually abused someone if the bishops believe the priests will not abuse again, a Vatican official said.

The Rev. Gianfranco Ghirlanda also said in an article to be published today that church leaders have no legal or moral responsibilities if such abuse does occur.

The Vatican appeals court judge insisted church leaders must protect the "good name" of their priests and only a guilty cleric truly is responsible for his actions.

"From a canon law perspective, the bishop and the superior are neither morally nor judicially responsible for the acts committed by one of their clergy," said Ghirlanda, dean of canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

The article is in the influential Jesuit magazine Civilta Cattolica, which often reflects Vatican thinking.

David Clohessy, national director of the Chicago-based Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, said he found it disturbing that the article appeared to be contradicting Pope John Paul II’s statement at last month’s Vatican summit on sex abuse.

"It seems like the pope was very clear last month: there’s no place in the ministry for these men — none — and it’s a crime," Clohessy said. "Ever since, we’ve seen church leaders hemming and hawing and making exceptions."

The Vatican is struggling to deal with worldwide allegations of sexual abuse by priests.

Ghirlanda argued that a priest whose past acts of abuse were revealed to his congregation "would be totally discredited in front of his parochial community and in fact would be blocked from any effective pastoral action."

"If the bishop fears the priest could again commit a crime, then he must not entrust to the priest a parish, but must act in a different way."

However, Ghirlanda also said priests should not be forced to take psychological tests to assess the likelihood of their committing abuse.

"To our thinking, it’s not admissible that the incriminated cleric be forced to undergo a psychological investigation to determine if his personality is inclined to commit the crimes in question," the article said.

American church officials are accused of covering up sexual misconduct by priests, in some cases by moving known abusers from job to job. The church has paid millions of dollars in damages to victims and faces numerous lawsuits.

The ongoing U.S. scandal prompted last month’s extraordinary meeting at the Vatican between Pope John Paul II, 12 of the 13 American cardinals and some top American bishops. The clergymen chose not to set strict rules before a June 13-15 meeting of American bishops in Dallas.

Rules agreed on by the bishops in June will be passed back to the Vatican for ratification.

Ghirlanda, in an apparent reference to victims’ civil suits against dioceses, also wrote that the relationship between senior church officials and their priests is not comparable to that of an employer and employee.

"The cleric doesn’t ‘work’ for the bishop or for the superior, but is at the service of God," Ghirlanda wrote.

He also said church leaders confronted with cases of abuse should attempt to resolve the problem without going to the authorities.

"Only if these methods prove useless, the bishop and the superior may move ahead with the judicial process," Ghirlanda said.

He added, "The cleric’s right of good name must be protected by the bishop and superior. Therefore any act that has public repercussions, undertaken by the bishop or superior in dealing with one of his clerics is legitimate only if the good of the community requires it and if the bishop and superior have reached moral certainty."

Copyright ©2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Firefighters respond to a 911 call on July 16, 2024, in Mill Creek. Firefighters from South County Fire, Tulalip Bay Fire Department and Camano Island Fire and Rescue left Wednesday to help fight the LA fires. (Photo provided by South County Fire)
Help is on the way: Snohomish County firefighters en route to LA fires

The Los Angeles wildfires have caused at least 180,000 evacuations. The crews expect to arrive Friday.

x
Edmonds police shooting investigation includes possibility of gang violence

The 18-year-old victim remains in critical condition as of Friday morning.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River. Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett council approves water, sewer rate increases

The 43% rise in combined water and sewer rates will pay for large infrastructure projects.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

Devani Padron, left, Daisy Ramos perform during dance class at Mari's Place Monday afternoon in Everett on July 13, 2016. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Mari’s Place helps children build confidence and design a better future

The Everett-based nonprofit offers free and low-cost classes in art, music, theater and dance for children ages 5 to 14.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

The Everett Municipal Building on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Everett council approves $111 million construction of sewer project

The Port Gardner Storage Facility, in the works for more than a decade, will help prevent overflows of the city sewer system.

Two students walk along a path through campus Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, at Everett Community College in Everett, Washington. A group of nearly 20 community groups are planning to study how to make it easier for young people to find jobs. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Goal for Everett coalition: Make it easier for young people to find jobs

The organizations hope the months-long process will improve access to resources for young people.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.