The Shepherd Writes: A pastoral letter from Bishop DiNardo
Posted July 11, 2002

Dear Friends in Christ,

In the Preamble of "The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People," adopted in Dallas on June 15, we, the bishops, state:

"We, who have been given the responsibility of shepherding God's people, will, with God's help and in full collaboration with our people, continue to work to restore the bonds of trust that unite us. Words alone cannot ac-complish this goal. It will begin with the actions we take here in our General Assembly and at home in our dioceses/eparchies."

It is in light of the charter that I write to all the clergy, religious and faithful of the Diocese of Sioux City concerning the actions your local church is taking and will take for healing, repentance and renewal. With firm determination, I want to bring resolution to this crisis and begin the long and arduous journey to reconciliation within the church, most especially, in God's grace, with those who have been sexually abused as minors by our clergy.

In this light I want to emphasize the desire of the diocese in having any victim of abuse at the hands of the clergy of this local church to contact us. I have already met with some of the victims and am willing to meet with anyone who has suffered such abuse. In accordance with already existing diocesan policy and the new Dallas charter, the diocese offers pastoral and spiritual support to victims and their families, as well as professional counseling. This is done in heartfelt hope that some healing and peace can be brought to victims. I repeat and renew my own apology in the name of the diocese to all those who have suffered abuse from any of our clergy.

Secondly, the Dallas charter requires each diocese to have mechanisms in place to respond promptly to any allegations where there is reason to believe that sexual abuse of a minor has taken place. Since 1992, our diocese has had a review board in place to assist in assessing allegations of abuse and fitness for ministry. That board has now been renewed and, in accordance with the Dallas charter, the majority of its members are lay persons not in the employ of the diocese. The names and backgrounds of the reconstituted review board appear in another section of The Globe this week.

The new board has already met once to review the Dallas charter and procedures to be followed. It will review and act on all cases in our diocese, past, present and future where an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor has been received. I want to thank the members of the review board for generously accepting this demanding responsibility. The board will conduct its review systematically and with care for due process.

The review board's work is important because of the policy in the Dallas charter that states: where sexual abuse of a minor by a priest or deacon is established after an appropriate investigation in accord with canon law, then even for a single act of sexual abuse of a minor, past, present or future, the offending cleric will be permanently removed from the ministry.

In every case, the processes provided for in canon law must be followed and its various provisions must be considered. These provisions may include a voluntary request by the cleric for dispensation from the obligations of holy orders and the loss of the clerical state, or a request by the bishop for dismissal from the clerical state even without the consent of the priest or deacon.

The severity of the judgement here is based on an important affirmation: sexual abuse of a minor disqualifies a priest from ministry permanently. If the penalty of dismissal from the clerical state has not been applied, for reasons of health or age, the offender will not be permitted to celebrate sacraments publicly, wear clerical garb or present himself publicly as a priest.

In accord also with the Dallas charter, the diocese will report an allegation of sexual abuse of a person who is a minor to the public authorities and will cooperate in their investigation according to the law of jurisdiction in question. The diocese will cooperate with public authorities about reporting in cases when the person is no longer a minor. Since my return from Dallas, the diocese has already begun this process.

In dealing with priests who have abused minors, it is necessary to distinguish some important matters. For one who sins gravely and repents, there can be forgiveness. Further, a person who commits such evil may be able to come, through help and counseling, to a renewed personal integrity. But the fact of his crimes remain with consequences for the protection of minors and the common good of the church. It is the last reality that calls for the permanent removal from ministry. It is a clear way to show our determination to provide safety and protection for children and minors in our church ministries and institutions.

There are other provisions in the Dallas charter that deal with matters of outreach to victims, of revision of current diocesan sexual abuse policies, of education and formation. In order to deal with these matters, I am setting up a Sexual Abuse Task Force in the diocese. Mr. Don Stevens, a layman in Sioux City, has generously agreed to become its director. The Task Force will be drawn from volunteers throughout the diocese who wish to collaborate in formulating various policies and initiatives that will meet the provisions in these areas that the Dallas Charter requires. I know that Mr. Stevens is eager to begin the work of this task force and its organization as soon as possible.

This is certainly a time of purification of the priesthood in the church. It is a painful time for all the members of the church. It is also a time of opportunity for renewal of both priests and laity so that the light of Christ shines ever more clearly through the church. We have been called to focus on what is wounded or broken. But we are also called to see and embrace the larger view of the church as the presence of Christ in the world.

As a communion of believers we need to recognize that the treasure of faith is carried by us all in fragile vessels. The sacramental character of the priesthood and the work of priests in our church is an essential dimension of our understanding. The vast majority of our priests engage in that mission with integrity. The current crisis demands of us who are leaders a strong accountability to ensure the protection of all the faithful, especially the young and most vulnerable. In this way, the essential work of priests is upheld and those serving as priests will be known for their faithfulness to the trust given them.

At the very roots of our Catholic identity is a great conviction of faith: the church is both human and divine. By the will of Christ himself, the church is established to carry on his mission, his ministry, his work to bring salvation to all. The Gospels are clear that Christ was aware of the frailty of human beings. We need only look at his choosing of the twelve Apostles to be associated with him intimately and to become the force of leadership in the early church to see the co-presence of divine choice and sometimes weak human response.

Even in their weaknesses, as well as in ours, Christ remains and abides. Christ promised that the Holy Spirit would be with the church until the end of time and preserve it in all truth. He did not say that every believer, including those ordained as priests and bishops, would be sinless. He did say that his presence and teaching and sanctification would not be falsified, lost or destroyed. His promise and presence continuously gives us hope and assurance, even in the midst of scandal, sadness and pain.

As you can imagine, I have received a number of letters in recent months about the crisis faced in the church at this moment. What has impressed me most is that the vast majority of that correspondence has contained, beyond rightful concerns and criticisms, a very definitive commitment to the truth of the Catholic faith and a love for the church. Almost every letter has also expressed love and respect for priests. It says a great deal for the faith of the people in our diocese.

I am convinced that the present crisis at its depth is a call for the holiness of the priesthood. It is a call to a much more vigorous prayer life on the part of our priests, a sober life style, and a renewed appreciation for the meaning of chaste celibacy. I believe that the last thirty years have not always been easy for our priests in keeping alive their priestly identity. This crisis pushes that identity to the forefront of every priest's consciousness. Holiness is the key. There are surely other concerns. But holiness is the key.

May I, in closing, express again my profound sorrow and apology to any person in our diocese who has suffered from abuse by one of our priests. We will continue to pray and work for healing in them and in their families.

The grace of Jesus can do more than our own power and is more eloquently revealed and effective when profiled against our weaknesses, as individuals, as shepherds, as a church. May that same grace shine on us now!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

†Most Rev. Daniel N. DiNardo
Bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City