Editorial

Promise to protect, heal:
Bishops need our help as they move forward

Last year at this time, I wrote an editorial calling upon the U.S. bishops to develop a set of national standards on sexual abuse of minors by clergy. I suggested that those standards should include a "zero tolerance" policy.

Now, a year later, the Catholic Church has made tremendous progress on developing - and putting into effect - a national policy contained in the bishops' Charter and Norms for the protection of young people.

Bishops move forward. The U.S. bishops have admitted their failures in the past and have moved forward in their efforts to protect children. Any priest or religious who has abused even one child is not allowed to minister again. The safety of children is now uppermost in the minds of our bishops.

We can be proud of our own bishop's support of these national policies. Bishop William H. Bullock has done everything he can to put these policies into effect in the Diocese of Madison (see related article on page 2 [online here]).

Bishop Bullock has met with victims of past sexual abuse to hear their stories. They have moved him profoundly. He says that there is no way to understand the damage done to these victims until one talks with them.

We are all responsible. Now Bishop Bullock needs the cooperation of all the priests, religious, and lay people of our diocese to put these policies into effect. "This is not just the bishops' problem. It's a problem for the universal church," he told me.

How can we help? The Diocese of Madison is negotiating with a firm to do background checks, advocacy, and education. We can cooperate with these programs when they go into effect soon.

The formation and educational programs will involve clergy, religious, lay ministers including teachers, religious education and youth ministers, parents and children. The programs will focus on ways to prevent, detect, and deal with sexual abuse.

We also can educate ourselves by reading the U.S. Bishops' Charter and Norms. They were both recently published in one booklet with the overall title, Promise to Protect, Pledge to Heal (available by calling toll-free 800-235-8722 or on the bishops' Web site at www.usccb.org).

Follow Christ's example. On the back of that booklet we read: "Let there be no doubt or confusion on anyone's part: For us, your bishops, our obligation to protect children and young people and to prevent sexual abuse flows from the mission and example given to us by Jesus Christ himself, in whose name we serve."

All of us - not just the bishops - must do our part to protect children and heal the wounds of the past. We must continue to pray for our church leaders, priests and religious, and all church members as we go forward.

We must strive to follow the teachings of Christ, trusting in God to lead us on the right path. Cooperating with the implementation of our diocesan policies is another step in the right direction.

Mary C. Uhler, editor

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To the editor:

During World War II Karol Wotyla (later Pope John Paul II) was an active member of the underground resistance in Poland and was supportive of the war efforts by the Allies. After World War II Karol Wotyla continued activities with the resistance forces during the Cold War occupation of Poland by the Soviet Union.

During both World War II and the Cold War, Karol Wotyla experienced firsthand the oppression and persecution inflicted on the Polish people. Then he understood the extent of evil and injustice inflicted by dictatorial, diabolical oppressors and the justification for active and physical resistance.

Pope John Paul II did not experience firsthand the oppression and persecution inflicted on the people in Iraq. His knowledge of Iraq may have come from informers who were protecting their own hides by providing "sugar-coated" information. Consequently he didn't realize the extent of atrocities imposed on Iraq's citizens and the urgent need for liberation similar to the need for liberation that he desired for the Polish people.

Charles J. Sippel, Waterloo