CNS STORY: Special report: Implementing the bishops' charter

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CNS Special report: Implementing the bishops' charter

Special report: Implementing the bishops' charter

The U.S. bishops in 2002, as a response to the national sexual abuse crisis in the church, issued the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People." The following articles represent an ongoing series by CNS to cover issues and activities surrounding the implementation of the charter in the United States.

Latest Article:

Dioceses reach out to parishes feeling isolated by abuse accusations (10/26/04)
Teams of volunteers are being formed in dioceses across the country to reach out to parishes in crisis because of allegations of sex abuse.
-full story

Earlier articles in series:

Programs for sex abuse victims are learning by experience (9/16/04)
When Michael Bland started organizing informal meetings of U.S. diocesan officials involved in outreach programs to clergy sex abuse victims, eight people showed up. At the meeting this past summer, 125 people attended.
                                                                        -full story

Building trust key part of outreach programs for sex abuse victims (9/16/04)
Two years after the U.S. bishops approved policies to prevent clergy sex abuse of minors, building trust is a major dimension of church programs that reach out to highly skeptical abuse victims.
                                                                        -full story
Trial-and-error process helps refine diocesan review boards (8/9/04)
As programs to prevent clergy sex abuse of minors take root in dioceses across the United States, they are being strengthened by their own experiences in tackling the issue.
                                                                        -full story

Bishops to begin reviewing child sex abuse policies (6/4/04)
As dioceses continue applying policies to prevent child sex abuse, bishops are starting to examine whether some of the policies should be modified.
                                                                        -full story

'Zero tolerance' is controversial cornerstone of sex abuse policy (6/4/04)
A controversial cornerstone of the U.S. bishops' policies to prevent child sex abuse is the permanent removal from ministry of any priest or deacon who has committed at least one act of child sex abuse.
                                                                        -full story

Lack of Social Security number an obstacle to some background checks (4/13/04)
As dioceses across the United States began doing background checks on people who work with minors, some ran into a snag.
                                                                        -full story

School gym becomes classroom for adults learning to protect kids (4/13/04)
In a grade school gym on a rainy night, Harriann Walker strode between the basketball hoops overhead telling more than 100 adults how to protect children from sex abuse.
                                                                        -full story

One lesson doesn't fit all in child sex abuse education (4/13/04)
Organizations helping dioceses and other church organizations set up child sex abuse prevention programs have age-appropriate instruction for use in Catholic schools and parishes.
                                                                        -full story

Effective treatment possible for sex abusers, say two experts (2/3/04)
Many priests who have abused children can be treated to prevent future abuse, said two experts involved in treatment programs.
                                                                        -full story

Some canon lawyers say due process limited for accused priests (1/28/04)
As U.S. dioceses prepare to evaluate the cases of clerics accused of sex abuse of minors, several canon lawyers defending accused priests have complained that the procedures limit due process for their clients.
                                                                        -full story

Bishops' sex abuse norms provide procedures for judging cases (1/28/04)
To cope with the U.S. clergy sex abuse crisis, Catholic leaders have delved into the church's legal system to develop norms to punish offenders while offering due process to the accused.
                                                                        -full story

Vatican official says U.S. abuse norms are complex but are working (1/20/04)
As U.S. dioceses implement stricter sex abuse policies and deal with accused priests, they have a quiet but watchful partner in the Vatican.
                                                                        -full story

Religious seek preventive medicine against clergy sex abuse (1/13/04)
The next stage in fighting clergy sex abuse for religious communities in the United States is a good dose of preventive medicine, according to those who work in the field.
                                                                        -full story

Religious communities forming sex abuse prevention programs (1/13/04)
The fight to end clergy sex abuse of minors stretches into religious orders and communities as they adapt the U.S. bishops' policies to their special situations.
                                                                        -full story

Review boards seek neutrality, independence on sex abuse issues (12/15/03)
Judge Michael Talbot of the Michigan Court of Appeals wants his expertise, independence and credibility to help the church resolve the clergy sex abuse crisis.
                                                                        -full story

Having victims as review board members gets mixed reaction (12/15/03)
Nora Connors is one of nine members of the review board in the Diocese of Paterson, N.J., where she advises on prevention policies and on actions to be taken against accused priests.
                                                                        -full story

Reading people their rights: Dioceses probe sex abuse cases (12/15/03)
John Brennan talks more like a police officer than a permanent deacon as he ticks off how his job with the Diocese of Portland, Maine, involves reading people their rights.
                                                                        -full story

Dioceses start support groups for clergy sex abuse victims (11/19/03)
Once a month Sister Barbara Flannery waits outside a door for about two hours. On the other side is a support group for people sexually abused as minors by priests. Sister Flannery and a priest who also was abused as a minor are milling around in case the group wants to talk to them.
                                                                        -full story

Christmas party, healing teams part of outreach to sex abuse victims (11/14/03)
Through media ads, Web sites, hot lines and parish announcements, diocesan officials across the country are getting the word out about a wide range of services and programs available to victims.
                                                                        -full story

Dealing with human pain: Bishops, sex abuse victims hold meetings (10/23/03)
As U.S. bishops craft new programs to prevent clergy sex abuse of minors, they also are seeking ways to deal with the human pain of victims.
                                                                        -full story

END

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