Maida believes 63 clerics hurt kids

116 sex-abuse victims known, cardinal says

February 6, 2004

BY DAVID CRUMM AND JIM SCHAEFER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

As a somber Detroit Catholic Cardinal Adam Maida revealed Thursday that he believes 63 priests and deacons sexually abused at least 116 minors in metro Detroit since 1950, he warned that a national report on all abusers to be released in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 27 will shock Catholics coast to coast.

BY THE NUMBERS

Number of clergy named in credible allegations: 63 Number of victims known to the archdiocese: 116 Money paid in settlements and for counseling: $1,377,000 Source: Archdiocese of Detroit

Like many bishops, Maida is trying to soften the blow of the report by explaining the extent of the local scandal directly to his followers.

The full scope of the problem had never been revealed to the 1.5 million Catholics in the six-county Archdiocese of Detroit. Most news reports have focused on the 21 priests Maida has removed from ministry since early 2002.

On Thursday, Maida said he is mailing an eight-page tabloid containing his explanation of the crisis to 300,000 Catholic households in metro Detroit.

The tabloid, which cost about $45,000 to create, stresses that the 61 priests and 2 deacons believed to have abused minors since 1950 represent only 2 percent of all clerics in the Archdiocese of Detroit during that period.

"The overwhelming majority of our Detroit priests have served and are serving faithfully and observing their commitment to celibacy," Maida said as he showed the tabloid to reporters.

When the extent of the national pattern of abuse is detailed Feb. 27, "the numbers, no doubt, will be startling. But no matter how painful, we must face them and move forward," the cardinal said.

Maida and other church officials said the conclusions are sobering reminders of the long-term challenge of protecting children and ousting abusers.

Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Michael Talbot, who leads a team set up to investigate cases for Maida, said Thursday that he once hoped to wrap up all investigations and close up shop, but "now, I don't know that that will ever be the case."

One ongoing problem for church officials is that many victims apparently have remained silent. On Thursday, Maida appealed to all victims to contact the church and prosecutors. Telephone numbers are printed on the back cover of his tabloid and also are on the archdiocesan Web site, www.aodonline.org/. The main hot line number is 866-343-8055.

Only 116 victims are known to church authorities, Maida said.

In an extensive article about the crisis printed in the tabloid, Santa Clara University psychologist Thomas Plante, a leading expert on the abuse crisis, explained that the total number of victims is likely much larger.

Citing research studies, Plante wrote, "the average number of victims per clergy offender is about eight."

Given that 63 clerics are believed to have abused children, there probably were 500 victims in the archdiocese, Plante said Thursday.

The work on combatting abuse is only beginning, Plante said. "Now that we're learning more about this, the real work is to find out how the church handled these cases. . . . More checks and balances are needed here."

Parishes from Port Huron to the Ohio line are working on that, said Mary Eckert, an educator who is coordinating compliance in the Detroit archdiocese with new church guidelines. About 5,000 parish employees and volunteers have taken a four-hour training course on spotting signs of abuse and following safe practices in parish programs. An additional 15,000 people need to be trained, she said.

Across Michigan, Catholic bishops in smaller dioceses also are trying to talk directly to parishioners about the real scope of the crisis. Church officials in Grand Rapids and Marquette released local reports last month. Bishops in Lansing and Saginaw said they plan to address their followers before Feb. 27.

The reporting methods vary widely. For example, Maida's report ran from 1950 until last month, but Marquette's ends with 2002. Marquette counted 16 abusive clergy or about 3 percent of clerics who served in the diocese during that period. Only 34 victims are known to church officials there.

David Clohessy of St. Louis, national director of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, warned Catholics to be skeptical about reporting by church leaders. They "worked hard for years to keep these horrific secrets hidden. This should be looked at like self-reporting by Enron."

Nevertheless, Clohessy said the disclosures may signal a greater openness in the church.

"As long as we don't delude ourselves or become complacent, then yes, I think this could be seen as a tiny step forward," he said. "But, if it contributes to a false sense of security or the mistaken notion that this problem is all past tense, then it's problematic."

In sharp contrast, Joe Maher of Redford Township, who cofounded a support group for accused priests, said the reports are creating new victims: priests.

Maher took issue with a claim made Thursday by Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Walter Hurley, Maida's point man in the crisis. As he helped Maida present the report, Hurley said that he believes the accusations brought against the 63 clerics in the report.

Maher said, "Everyone should remember that these are accusations, and these are alleged victims. . . . Some of these priests are very fine priests. Their reputations are being ruined."

Maher said he has asked bishops to end such reporting.

"Imagine if you're a priest and you have to prove that something didn't happen," he said. "These priests are really at the mercy of public opinion."

In New York, the Rev. Thomas Reese, editor of America Magazine, contributed some of the educational material that appears in Maida's tabloid. Reese said the shock of the crisis is forcing bishops to realize that abuse is a continuing problem.

"Some of the bishops thought at first that they could put together a few panels of experts on this problem and wrap it all up in a year or two," Reese said. "What they're finding is that this is ongoing work that requires a long-term commitment."

Go to www.aodonline.org/to read the full Detroit report and find the names of many of the priests who have been disciplined for abuse.