Challenge to Justice: Abandoned and Forgotten Clergy

Nov. 4, 2006
National Federation of Priest Councils

Over the past few years, the Church in the United States has had to face a terrible betrayal by members of the clergy. The sexual abuse of minors has been a source of great shame for the Church. We, too, grieve the pain and violation suffered by the victims of abuse and we pledge to continue the work of outreach, healing and reconciliation that we all seek. The National Federation of Priests’ Councils (NFPC) stands behind and supports the bishops in their decisions and determination to remove from ministry, predatory and repeat offending members of the clergy. We also echo the National Review Board’s comments that we have only begun a process of reform in the Church, and that we must never return to an attitude of “business as usual.”

While affirming the steps that the Church in the United States is taking, we as a national voice for priests, must also call attention to situations of injustice among a growing number of priests who have had allegations made against them. For some priests, after suspension from ministry, basic elements of due process have been denied them. In other cases, even after civil and/or canonical processes and in some cases, the direct response of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith have found these men cleared of charges, they still have not been returned to ministry.

These, too, are violations of justice and we urge the bishops of our country to recommit themselves to the gospel call of justice for all people and re-examine the means by which allegations are handled. While most bishops have responded faithfully to the challenges of the Charter, some have not. In truly seeking a just response to the need for healing and reconciliation, we call upon our bishops to:

• follow faithfully the universal law of the Church and every point made in the Charter and Essential Norms;
• respect and honor the rights of all parties involved in these cases;
• ensure that legitimate processes of the law be applied to all individuals.

The NFPC also calls upon the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Congregation for Bishops to hold accountable those bishops who fail to respect canon law and the particular law that govern these cases. Without this accountability it appears that more and more clerics who have offered their lives in dedicated service to the Church will be suspended or dismissed without regard to their standing before the law. It is of paramount importance to continue our work to protect our youth, but it is also vital for the life of the Church to ensure justice for those who have been accused.

Approved by the NFPC Board of Directors in consultation with the Council of Consultors