CHARLOTTE — In a May 13 statement, Bishop Peter Jugis said he welcomes new procedures issued by Pope Francis that will govern the reporting of child sexual abuse and the accountability of Church leaders worldwide – and he noted that many of the procedures are already in place in the Diocese of Charlotte.
The bishop also announced the diocese is conducting a “comprehensive review” of its records for allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy before the 2002 adoption of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The names of any clergy found to be credibly accused will be made public, Jugis said.
On May 9, Pope Francis issued the motu proprio “Vos estis lux mundi” (“You are the light of the world”), laying out a set of procedures in reporting suspected abuse, carrying out initial investi-gations and protecting victims and whistleblowers that will apply to the universal Church. The norms, which take effect June 1, come out of the pope’s meeting in February with all the epis-copal conference presidents from around the world.
These new norms mirror the child protection procedures already in place in the Church in the United States, as mandated by the 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young Peo-ple, Bishop Jugis noted in the May 13 statement.
He also said the Charlotte diocese has been conducting “a comprehensive review of our historical records to search for any allegations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy who have served in the Charlotte diocese since its inception in 1972.”
Bishop Jugis said his goal is to complete the review and publish a list of credibly accused clergy before the end of the year.
“Through my discussions with abuse survivors, I have come to believe that a full airing of abuse from the past is crucial in the healing process for victims and for the entire Church,” he said. “Please join me in continuing to pray for healing for all victims of sexual abuse.”
— Catholic News Herald
FULL STATEMENT FROM BISHOP PETER JUGIS:
The Diocese of Charlotte welcomes new procedures announced last week by Pope Francis for reporting suspected child sexual abuse, conducting investigations and protecting victims and whistleblowers, which include a number of measures already in place here in Charlotte.
The new measures apply to the Catholic Church wordwide beginning June 1 and largely reflect comprehensive steps taken in 2002, when the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Among other measures, the 2002 Charter mandated zero tolerance of abuse, outreach to victims, reporting allegations to civil authorities and lay expertise on review boards that advise bishops in cases of abuse.
In addition, the Diocese of Charlotte has been conducting a comprehensive review of our historical records to search for any allegations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy who have served in the Charlotte diocese since its inception in 1972. Any allegations discovered in these historical files have and will be forwarded to our Lay Review Board for evaluation and/or fur-ther investigation. And, just as we have done since I became bishop in 2003, the names of any clergy found to be credibly accused by the Board in consultation with me will be made public and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.
This process of reviewing personnel files and other historical records was set in motion last fall, upon recommendation by the Review Board and in consultation with me and other diocesan leadership. To ensure this research is thorough, it is difficult to predict exactly when this process will be complete, however, the diocese is committed to finishing the investigation and publishing a list of credibly accused clergy before the end of the year. Through my discussions with abuse survivors, I have come to believe that a full airing of abuse from the past is crucial in the healing process for victims and for the entire Church.
The Holy Father’s message is clear: We are all called to holiness, to a “continuous and profound conversion of hearts… attested by concrete and effective actions that involve everyone in the Church.” Please join me in continuing to pray for healing for all victims of sexual abuse.
The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis
Bishop of Charlotte