Nearly 25 years ago, the late Seattle Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy responded to the sexual abuse crisis in the Church. Here is what he said.

The Progress
December 8, 1994

In Joy and Hope

by

Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy

Response to sexual abuse

At last month's meeting of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the issue of sexual abuse by clergy and workers in church settings was a topic that received a great deal of publicity. It is with deep regret that I acknowledge the reality of sexual abuse in our community and our church.

The church throughout the country is addressing this unfortunate reality by developing policies and procedures to respond with justice and compassion. Most of all, it has tried to assure the community at large that everything possible will be done to avoid instances of sexual abuse by clergy and church workers in the future.

I believe it is helpful to people to let them know what policies and procedures are in place here in Western Washington that help us to address sexual abuse and misconduct. Each of these actions is an abuse of power or authority and contradicts the basic mission and ministry of the church.

Principles for policies on sexual abuse!

Sexual abuse or misconduct by church personnel is contrary to basic principles of Christian morality. The integrity of the ministerial relationship between church personnel and the children and adults whom they serve is an imperative. This relationship presumes trust in the conduct of all ministers within the church community.

There are five principles that provide the basis for the church's position on addressing issues of sexual abuse. These principles are the following:

1) To respond promptly to all allegations of abuse where there is reasonable belief that abuse has occurred;

2) If such an allegation is found to be supported by sufficient evidence, to relieve the alleged offender promptly of ministerial duties and to refer the alleged offender for appropriate intervention and assessment;

3) To cooperate fully with civil authorities in reporting the incident and assisting with the investigation;

4) To reach out to the victims and their families and to communicate sincere commitment to their spiritual and emotional well-being;

5) Within the confines of respect for privacy of the individuals involved, to deal as openly as possible with the other members of the community who may be affected.

Compassion and accountability

Behind these principles regarding a response to sexual abuse by church ministers, there are two essential attitudes that must characterize the response of the church - compassion and accountability. When such instances have occurred within our own local church, I believe that our response has been rooted in compassion and accountability.

Accountability on the part of the local church includes the development of a written policy on sexual abuse and misconduct. The Archdiocese of Seattle has such a written policy in place which we believe is pastoral and responsible. Such compassion must be extended to the survivors of sexual abuse in every way possible.

Education and prevention

Policies regarding sexual abuse by church personnel must address not only the process for responding to allegations of such abuse that has taken place, they must also address the issues of education and prevention. All church personnel must be aware of the policies in place and the responsibility they have to be faithful to the trust that is placed in them. Screening and reporting procedures are also in place to assure the integrity of ministers in the church in their service of people.

Sexual abuse by church personnel becomes a challenge for a renewed commitment to the integrity of who we are and the position we hold within the church. Clergy and religious have the special obligation to live out our lifetime celibate commitment in a spirit of fidelity evident in our actions and lifestyle. All church personnel must recognize the obligation we have to serve people in ways that engender trust and accountability.

It is good that our church is responding to the reality of sexual abuse in an open and accountable way. To anyone who has suffered from sexual abuse by a person in church ministry, may I extend my deepest sorrow and regret. May our joint efforts help us ensure that we have done all we possibly can to prevent sexual abuse and misconduct from taking place here in the Church in Western Washington. May God's grace and peace be yours.

1A scandal is an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage.

We’ve had lots of scandals lately and, unfortunately, the sheer number seems to lessen their impact. “General public outrage” is a relative term too often colored by hyper intensive media coverage that dulls the impact and confuses people’s sense of what really happened and what it all means. 

Pope Francis has warned about the negative effects of media-fueled outrage. The problem he and other Church and civil leaders have is that any attempt to achieve balanced, calm coverage of scandalous events can easily appear to be downplaying or even covering up the seriousness of an issue. 

Coverage of the clergy sex abuse scandals is an important case in point. Prior to the 2002 explosion of information regarding abusive priests and their mishandling by bishops, it was assumed to be a good thing that such cases were kept quiet—for the good of victims and their families and, yes, to avoid scandal. In retrospect, this assumption led to even greater harm to all concerned, but at the time most bishops and other Church leaders thought they were doing the right thing. 

Today, all past situations and decisions are judged in light of today’s standards. It doesn’t matter how well-intentioned a bishop was—or how closely he followed the advice of psychiatrists or attorneys, if he did observe a policy of zero tolerance or immediately defrock a credibly accused cleric, he is seen to have been complicit in the crimes committed by offenders within his pastoral care. 

To be clear, I too am outraged by all these immoral, illegal and scandalous activities committed by those entrusted with the care of our children and young adults. And it’s clear that this whole situation has been badly mismanaged by those responsible. 

But I am also outraged (deeply saddened) by the way these scandals continue to be portrayed in the media. Much more heat than light is generated by media hyperbole. We need clear thinking and careful deliberation if we’re going to address this awful situation in ways that ensure that the offenders are brought to justice and these crimes are never permitted to happen again. 

“VATICAN II was hard on introverts,” the late Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein used to say. He was referring to the liturgical reforms which externalized a lot of the  silent prayers and rituals of the old Mass. 

 The older I get, the more I agree with Archbishop Daniel. Today’s liturgy is too noisy and too busy. It sometimes seems impossible during Mass to gain the kind of mental, emotional and spiritual composure that are  necessary to engage in a profound act of Divine Worship. There are too many distractions—most are good things in themselves, but packed together in an hour’s liturgy they are simply too much.

Do we really have to sing 5 hymns, a responsorial psalm and multiple acclamations every Sunday without any variety? Do we need all the add-ons that are increasingly a part of the Sunday liturgy (baptisms, anointing of the sick, special blessings, etc.)? Once again, all good things in and of themselves, but often jarring and disruptive when added on top of everything else.

And where’s the silence that is so important to hearing and reflecting on God’s Word? Unfortunately it’s often hard to hear yourself think (or pray) over the noise in church before, during and after Mass.

The German theologian Father Karl Rainer, SJ, once contrasted his “wintry” form of spirituality with that of more enthusiastic, evangelical Christians. There is something about Catholic prayer and worship that should be “wintry” resisting too much outward or external expression. Like the force of gravity, authentic religious fervor should hold us back from spinning out of control. It should bind us to earth while at the same time raising our minds and hearts to heaven.

My challenge, I freely admit, is to resist the temptation to be disheartened or grumpy during an especially busy or noisy Mass. Composure and silence are possible even in the most extroverted liturgies if you take the time to cultivate them.

I believe that VATICAN II’s concept of “full, conscious and active participation” is essential to liturgical prayer. I just wish that at least occasionally we could actively participate a little more calmly and with less noise.