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Home  To Protect and To Heal Sexual Abuse Settlement Statement
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Sexual Abuse Settlement Statement |
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I would like to share with you an update and some further reflections regarding the scandal of sexual abuse of minors by members of the clergy of the Diocese of Toledo. A very significant development is the settlement of civil suits. When I arrived as your new Bishop last December, there were nineteen cases against the Diocese of Toledo brought by a total of twenty-four plaintiffs. After much thought and consultation, it seemed to me that the legitimate interests of both the plaintiffs and the diocese would best be served by mediated settlements. The plaintiffs and their attorneys agreed, and the mediation process is now complete. Twenty-three settlement agreements were reached and one case was voluntarily dismissed. As of today, all lawsuits against the Diocese of Toledo with regard to sexual abuse of minors by the clergy have been dismissed, or will be dismissed, as soon as final settlement arrangements are complete. The cost of these twenty-three settlements comes to $1,190,365. As in the past, money for sexual abuse cases is being paid from our diocesan insurance fund and not from collections, diocesan assessments, or any capital or other campaigns. Like any insurance fund, the base of its revenue comes from the insurance premiums paid over the years by parishes and from the diocesan budget for the insurance protection we need for our institutions. Financial costs are significant, but they pale in comparison to the human costs of this scandal. Some time ago I wrote to all the alleged victims asking if I might meet with them in the hope of fostering some understanding, healing and reconciliation. Several of them responded positively, and I would like to think that these meetings accomplished some good. It is very clear to me how devastating sexual abuse and its aftermath can be to victims and to their families. In accordance with our sexual abuse policy, we have a protocol by which the diocese will provide professional counseling to victims who seek it. We need to appreciate what it is like for a victim not to have been believed, or for victims to be tormented with the thought that they somehow contributed to the abuse even when it is clear that they did not, or for them to have seen their abuser continue unimpeded in ministry. Although it is particularly heinous for a priest or deacon to be an abuser, statistics show what a widespread problem sexual abuse is in our society far beyond anything that clerics have done. As an example I would refer you to an article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal several weeks ago. It reported that an exhaustive review of research shows that “more than 4.5 million children currently in the public school system are subject to sexual misconduct by school employees, from inappropriate comments to physical abuse.” Clearly this is not just a Catholic or clerical problem in our country. I regularly pray for all victims of sexual abuse and their families, especially those in our diocese, and I ask all of you to do the same. From time to time it would be good to include an intention for victims of sexual abuse in the Prayer of the Faithful at Sunday Mass. The human cost of the scandal in our church also touches the lives of the clergy who have been accused. I have met with some of them too. All of their cases have to be sent to Rome for a final determination, but the Dallas Charter and Norms stipulate that where the crime is admitted or substantiated, a priest or deacon will not be returned to ministry. In a case where the alleged crime is not admitted, and cannot be substantiated, then the priest will be reinstated and every effort made to restore his good name. I appreciate the anguish that arises from the length of time it is taking to resolve these cases. I can only say that Rome has been inundated by cases from the United States, and is making every effort, with the help of the U.S. Bishops, to handle them as quickly as possible. I hope that we will begin hearing back from Rome soon about at least some of the cases from the Diocese of Toledo. No matter how heinous a sin or crime may be, no perpetrator is outside the mercy and love of God. Those clergy who are guilty of sexual abuse also deserve our prayers and our help. We can and must forgive our trespassers, whoever they may be, even though our forgiveness does not exempt them from suffering the consequences of their crimes. Even if they are not allowed to identify or minister as priests or deacons, they are still human beings capable of holiness through heartfelt conversion and penance for their sins. We should also be mindful of the human cost of the scandal to the 98% of priests and deacons in our diocese who have never engaged in any act of sexual abuse of minors yet find themselves under a cloud of suspicion. More than ever they need our support, encouragement and prayers. Finally, the human cost of abuse has also touched parishes where an alleged abuser had been assigned. I cannot undo what has been done, nor judge the past in light of what we know today. I can only work and pray for the healing of whatever anger and resentment people may feel over all that has happened in their parish. I am always open to hearing more about this and trying to address it. Our ongoing goal is simple but challenging: to do everything humanly possible to address past acts of sexual abuse and to protect children and young people from sexual abuse in the future. Our diocesan policy To Protect and to Heal (available in print and on our diocesan website) is a very good one. However, it requires the full cooperation and vigilance of everyone in order to be effective. We cannot be too careful when it comes to potential sexual abuse, not just by clergy, who account for a tiny percentage of the cases in our country, but all potential abusers. I have pledged our diocese to this policy, and I ask your help to see that it is carefully observed. I commend the clergy, as well as men and women Religious, teachers, catechists, coaches, youth ministers, volunteers and other employees throughout the diocese for their responsiveness to the requirements of the policy thus far. As in the past, so now, I pray for God’s blessing and protection over our Diocese of Toledo. And may Mary, our patroness under the title of Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, keep us safely under her protecting mantle.
+Leonard P. Blair
Bishop of Toledo
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