CHARLOTTE — People and priests in the Diocese of Charlotte are reacting with shock, anger and disgust to recent allegations of sexual misconduct against Church leaders, including a retired archbishop of Washington, D.C., and the release of a Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing child sexual abuse by hundreds of priests in six dioceses of that state.
The grand jury report, issued Aug. 14, recounts the alleged sexual abuse of more than 1,000 children in six Pennsylvania dioceses over the course of 70 years. One of the 301 priests named in the Aug. 14 grand jury report, the late Spiritan Father Robert Spangenberg, served at St. James Church in Hamlet for about three years in the mid-1990s. (See related story on page 9.)
The Pennsylvania grand jury report came out not long after allegations of sexual misconduct were reported against retired Washington Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, who resigned from the College of Cardinals and now faces a Vatican investigation. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is also considering an internal investigation. Archbishop McCarrick has said he is innocent.
All of these headlines have stirred people in the Charlotte diocese to react with questions, shock, anger and calls for prayer. On the Catholic News Herald’s Facebook page, people have been commenting as follows:
“I have been reading for hours about the abuse in the Catholic Church that has been hidden and passed over, and I feel sick and hopeless. Who are these people? Who can right this sinking ship? My beloved faith is shaking with horror,” wrote Carol Dunkley.
“The men that knew, and did nothing, deserve to go to jail. At the very least, they should no longer be part of the church,” wrote Rich Killoran.
“Enough is enough … RCC clergy has proved over and over again that they are not even remotely capable of policing themselves. They say it can’t happen here … but it has happened everywhere. Stand up for your faith, it’s time for the adults to be in charge,” wrote Pat Jackson.
“Though it is unfortunate, it is a reality that it is going to take the secular world to expose what the episcopate is unwilling to reveal. How sad but how necessary that God has to make use of outsiders to do what insiders should have been the first to do a looooong time ago,” wrote Cindy Padin.
“Every parish, every diocese in every state must investigate and prosecute this evil,” wrote Theresa Williams. “Any member of the hierarchy who knowingly allowed this behavior or kept it quiet must be prosecuted for aiding and abetting. Evil must be rooted out of the church from the local level right up to the Vatican! St Michael the Archangel defend us in battle.”
“Prayers for priests,” wrote Helen Losse. “There are more good, holy priests than priests who have sinned horrifically. Pray that this exposure (that is right and necessary for healing) will not prevent people from coming to Jesus in the Catholic Church.”
"There is no abiding change, no change of heart or change of practice or change of behavior without a change of direction from the ways of the world to the way of the Lord Jesus." — Father Benjamin Roberts, pastor, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Monroe
Pastors have also been hearing from their parishioners in the wake of the news out of Pennsylvania. Concerned about the news prompting a crisis of faith among people, some addressed the news in their homilies, in remarks before or after Mass, and in the prayers of the faithful at Masses Aug. 18-19.
“If there was any trust left after the scandals revealed in 2002, and if any trust had been rebuilt in the 16 years since then, it is now gone,” said Father Benjamin Roberts, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe, in his homily. “I am utterly horrified. I am ashamed. I am broken-hearted. I am angry. I am disappointed. I am furious that consecrated men abused children and young people, that they abused their authority and the trust of their sacred office. I am horrified that predators were promoted rather than being punished. It’s tough to preach, and to pray.
“But let us be clear: I and other faithful priests are not the victims here. We are, at best, collateral damage,” Father Roberts said. “The victims are the young people and children that were violated by those who should have protected them. The victims are those who were rejected and neglected by Church and legal systems. They are the ones who need our prayers and support. They are the ones who deserve our compassion, our consolation and our care.
He continued, “Knowledge and admission of sin and a desire to reform are the first steps on the path to holiness … and holiness is our only option. There is no path forward that does not involve a deeper commitment and a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. We need an investigation and a review board and screenings and policies. Those must be part of the process, and they will be. But there is no abiding change, no change of heart or change of practice or change of behavior without a change of direction from the ways of the world to the way of the Lord Jesus. Holiness is our only answer. Holiness is our only path. Holiness is the only credible witness that can testify before the victims of abuse and the world. We have no choice. We must seek to be holy.”
All three priests at St. Mark Church in Huntersville also addressed the news during Masses over the weekend, with the videos posted on the parish’s Facebook page.
Father John Putnam, pastor, acknowledged that some of his parishioners come from Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and New Jersey, where the abuse allegations originated.
“I know how painful that must be,” Father Putnam said. “I understand the pain, I understand the anger. I understand the bewilderment. I understand the disgust. Please know that we, the priests of the parish, stand with you.”
The headlines, he said, “have caused us to step back and to really look back – has this culture (of sexual abuse) been cultivated in some way, has it been allowed to flourish in some way?”
“Moving forward we have a responsibility,” he emphasized. “We cannot allow a culture of silence ever to allow such heinous things to occur. We have to speak. The only way healing can begin is if a culture changes.”
The Church is holy, Father Putnam continued, “but we recognize that not all who are in it are always holy. And that includes the leaders.
“Ultimately, the holiness of the Church is about Christ. It’s not about the pope, it’s not about the bishops, it’s not about the priests. It’s about Christ. It’s about seeking to do His Will.”
The Huntersville parish held a Holy Hour of Reparation after Mass Aug. 22 for the sins that have been committed.
In Father Matthew Kauth’s homily to seminarians at St. Joseph College Seminary, he discussed his responses to the abuse allegations – emotionally and intellectually.
“The intellectual response grew in my will and became a fire in me. It was time for a practical response beyond the priesthood itself,” Father Kauth said. “Words are not needed. Deeds are needed. I wanted to fight fire with holy fire. I wanted to respond. What deed? I believe that what I have experienced in 25 years of attempting to follow Christ was in some sense to prepare me for this deed, this response.
“My response is this. A seminary. My response is you. A new priesthood,” he said.
The college seminary in Charlotte, established in 2016, is designed to give undergraduate men the opportunity to discern a possible religious vocation before considering the step of enrolling in a major seminary for specific formation to the priesthood. Students work toward a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at Belmont Abbey College while experiencing a Benedictine-style communal life on their path of discernment.
“Whatever we do, we are not doing what was done. That has not worked,” Father Kauth said. “When a vocation is born it is pure – like water from a spring. We cannot attempt to purify the water after it has become brackish. We must start at the source. The building of solid men for the priesthood. People say we are too traditional. I don’t know what that means. When something new doesn’t work, one has to circle back and revivify what once did. Solid formation according to the mind of the Church, not the mind of the age the Church is in. Perennial. Tradition. Period. We don’t want what has been done for the last 100 years. We are not doing that. We want Him to make all things new, not try more new things.”
Father Pat Hoare, pastor of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte – considered to be the largest Catholic parish in the United States with 11,000-plus families – also addressed the situation during Masses Aug. 18 and 19.
“I have had multiple discussions over the past several days with priest friends of mine, and also with the clergy here at St. Matthew,” Father Hoare said. “These reports cause us great pain and in some cases anger toward those entrusted with the authority to administer justice and to keep vulnerable children and adults out of harm’s way. The priests that I know well answered the call to the priesthood to serve you, to share with you God’s love and mercy, and to bring you the power of the sacraments, and we can’t understand how such abuse and injustice was tolerated by those with the power to stop it.”
He asked for continued prayers for healing.
Father Mark Lawlor, pastor of St. Therese Church in Mooresville, said situations such as these can lead to a crisis of faith. He said he agrees with the statement issued by the Holy See which included the following: “The Holy Father understands well how much these crimes can shake the faith and the spirit of believers and reiterates the call to make every effort to create a safe environment for minors and vulnerable adults in the Church and in all of society,” it said.
“Victims should know that the pope is on their side. Those who have suffered are his priority, and the Church wants to listen to them to root out this tragic horror that destroys the lives of the innocent.”
Father Lawlor added, “As a priest, my ministry is to help others. Some of my brother priests have betrayed the trust of the faithful and caused great harm and pain.”
In his homily, Jesuit Father James Shea, pastor of St. Peter Church in Charlotte, said he has heard from some of his parishioners about the anger, disgust, confusion, grief and shame that many are feeling.
“We had hoped that after the 2002 abuse scandals and procedures of the Dallas Charter for the Protection of Children, over 15 years ago, that we would not have to walk this dark journey again, but we do,” Father Shea said. “First, we must acknowledge the pain and grief. We know the grief we feel is only a shadow of the pain borne by survivors of abuse by priests. As a priest, I need to say to you that I am sorry for this terrible betrayal of trust. I am sorry for those scarred by abuse. I am sorry that you, the People of God, have to bear the shame for the crimes and sins of their leaders. I am sorry that your faith may be shaken.
“Even if your Church leaders have failed you, Jesus never will.”
Father Tim Reid, pastor of St. Ann Church in Charlotte also focused his homily on this issue. He said," This past week I saw a photo taken shortly after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The photo showed a bombed out church where a solemn high Mass was taking place. What struck me about the photo was that, despite the ruins of the church, there was still a glory to be seen in the offering of the Mass. And it appeared that there were thousands of faithful people present.
"I think this is the way we need to see the Church right now. While this scandal may seem overwhelmingly damaging to the Church, there is still a glory that shines within Her. Wile in Her humanity the Church may look like a bombed-out sordid mess, yet in Her divinity She is the spotless Bride of Christ. More than ever, Holy Mother Church needs faithful children to stay by her side."
“Let us continue to pray for all victims of sexual abuse.” — Bishop Peter Jugis of Charlotte
In a statement issued Aug. 17, Bishop Peter Jugis noted that he has “been hearing from many people who feel betrayed and wonder what is going to happen next to our beloved Church.”
Describing the news as “shameful revelations about the conduct of leaders and others in the Catholic Church,” Bishop Jugis said he “fully” supports the statement by Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. In that Aug. 16 statement, Cardinal DiNardo called for an investigation into the allegations against Archbishop McCarrick, “an opening of new and confidential channels for reporting complaints against bishops,” and “better procedures” to resolve complains made against bishops.
“We are faced with a spiritual crisis that requires not only spiritual conversion, but practical changes to avoid repeating the sins and failures of the past that are so evident in the recent report,” the cardinal wrote. Those changes will include input from laity, experts and the Vatican, he said.
Details are expected to be considered at the U.S. bishops’ next meeting in November.
In his statement, Bishop Jugis also asked people to “continue to pray for all victims of sexual abuse.”
“We are committed to taking any report of abuse seriously, and ensuring full follow through.” — David Harold, LCSW, victim assistance coordinator for the Diocese of Charlotte
When contacted by the Catholic News Herald, the Charlotte diocese’s victim assistance coordinator, David Harold, LCSW, also weighed in on the news.
“I think we all need to repent for ways the church's institutional culture has allowed and shielded abuse of children,” Harold wrote in an email. “Let us also pray that our current safe environment policies and trainings make our current church a very safe place for children, particularly here in western N.C.”
The diocese’s website contains detailed information on how to report a claim of abuse.
Abuse survivors may also contact Harold directly through the victim assistance line at 704-370-3363 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Harold said he checks the line daily during the week as well as on the weekend.
Harold’s mission is to help survivors of abuse, whether the incident took place in the Diocese of Charlotte or in another diocese.
“Making a formal report is sometimes difficult, and I can help people with that, as well as arranging counseling services if needed, and navigating any diocesan investigation that occurs,” Harold explained.
“We are committed to taking any report of abuse seriously, and ensuring full follow through.”
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle and Kimberly Bender, Catholic News Herald
What do you think?
At www.facebook.com/CatholicNewsHerald: Share your thoughts with us. What would you tell the U.S. bishops as they consider the issue at their November meeting?
Diocesan spokesman David Hains responded to questions about the turmoil in the Church on a popular talk-radio program on August 30. David was a guest of Mike Collins on the “Charlotte Talks” program. Listen here. His interview starts about 15 minutes into the program.
Notes:
- Since 2004, 15 allegations of sexual abuse involving seven priests have been reported to the diocese, according to independent auditors. Three of those priests were from religious orders based outside the diocese; four were diocesan priests. Of the seven, three had died by the time the abuse allegations were reported. The other four were removed from ministry. Criminal charges were brought against two of them: one case was closed in 2014 because of the priest’s lack of mental competency, and he died a few months later; in the other case, the priest pleaded guilty and served eight years of a 7- to 10-year prison sentence.
- In 2011, the Diocese of Charlotte is sued in civil court over allegations of child sexual abuse decades earlier by Father Richard Farwell and Father Joseph Kelleher. Neither Father Farwell nor Father Kelleher were named in the lawsuits. The plaintiffs in the two lawsuits alleged that the diocese had committed fraud and negligence by permitting their abuse at parishes in Albemarle, Charlotte and Salisbury in the late 1970s and early 1980s when they were children. Father Farwell, who is no longer in ministry, pleaded no contest to one count of the misdemeanor of contributing to the delinquency of a minor in 2004. A criminal sex abuse case against Father Kelleher was dismissed in 2014 on grounds of his mental incompetence to stand trial, and he died a few months later.
- In 2014, Mecklenburg Superior Court Judge Robert Bell dismissed the civil lawsuit against the diocese.
Diocese found compliant with child protection audit
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Diocese found compliant with child protection audit
CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte has been found in compliance with the U.S. bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” every year since the charter’s inception.The diocese has passed independent audits of its child protection procedures every year since 2003.
The external audit – conducted by the Gavin Group in the early years of the charter and now by Stonebridge Business Partners of Rochester, N.Y. – monitors U.S. dioceses’ compliance with the charter, which addresses the Church’s commitment to respond effectively, appropriately and compassionately to cases of abuse of minors by clergy or other Church personnel.
The audit evaluates the diocese’s efforts to ensure the protection of children, including criminal background checks and educational awareness programs on recognizing and preventing abuse.
In the fiscal year that ran from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017 (the most recent figures available), the diocese ran 4,068 background checks, which are required on an ongoing basis for all diocesan employees and volunteers. Since 2002, nearly 57,000 background checks have been processed.
Since 2002, more than 48,900 adults have received training in the safe environment awareness program entitled “Protecting God’s Children.” In the 2016-’17 fiscal year alone, the diocese held 167 “Protecting God’s Children” workshops across the diocese for 3,517 participants.
“Protecting God’s Children” helps adults learn to recognize the warning signs of abuse and the many ways that sexual abuse harms victims, families, parishes and communities. It teaches them appropriate ways to respond to suspicious behaviors and how they can help to prevent abuse.
Since 2003, the diocese has invested approximately $1.2 million in this training program.
The diocese also provides financial assistance to victims and their families for counseling and other medical services. Since 1995, that has totaled approximately $633,000.Since 2010, the diocese has reported costs incurred in connection with sexual abuse or misconduct lawsuits totaling approximately $1.4 million.
Diocesan insurance funds and the diocesan general fund were used for payment. None of these funds came from the Diocesan Support Appeal or from parish savings.
— Catholic News HeraldMore online
Read the Diocese of Charlotte’s Sexual Misconduct Policy and the U.S. bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People”
At www.charlottediocese.org/human-resources/safe-environment: Get detailed information on the diocese’s Safe Environment programsBy the numbers
$1.226 million: What the Diocese of Charlotte has spent on “Safe Environment” measures, including criminal background checks and “Protecting God’s Children” workshops held across the diocese for clergy, religious, lay employees and lay volunteers
$633,000: Assistance to sexual abuse victims for counseling and other medical services
$1.397 million: Legal costs incurred from sexual abuse litigation, not already covered by insuranceHow to report an allegation of abuse
Anyone having actual knowledge of or reasonable cause to suspect an incident of ministry-related sexual abuse is to immediately report the incident to civil authorities and/or the Diocese of Charlotte Chancery. The Chancery will then report the incident to the proper civil authorities.
All cases of alleged, known or suspected ministry-related sexual abuse of a minor must be reported to the proper civil authority. Anyone having actual knowledge of, or reasonable cause to suspect an incident of ministry-related sexual abuse by any Church personnel of the Diocese of Charlotte is to immediately report the incident to the Chancery, unless to do so would violate the sacrament of penance. The Chancery will then report the incident to the proper civil authority.
ONLINE: www.charlottediocese.org/human-resources/safe-environment
PHONE: Chancery at 704-370-6299 or the victim assistance line at 704-370-3363
EMAIL: David Harold, LCSW, the diocesan victim assistance coordinator, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
MAIL: Chancellor, Diocese of Charlotte, P.O. Box 36776, Charlotte, N.C. 28236N
Q&A with Rick Menze, chairman of the diocese’s Review Board
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Q&A with Rick Menze, chairman of the diocese’s Review Board
CHARLOTTE — Rick Menze has served on the Diocese of Charlotte Review Board since 2009, and been chairman since 2012. The Catholic News Herald reached out to him Monday seeking his point of view in light of the recent news of sexual abuse and misconduct in the Church:
CNH: Why is it important to have a Review Board with laity and others involved?
Menze: The laity on the Review Board offer a different, fresh perspective to often very difficult and troubling situations. And the laity are less likely to be affected by the friendships and loyalties that can exist among a group bound fraternally as our religious are.
CNH: What considerations does the board keep in mind when responding to an allegation and when advising the bishop on a course of action?
Menze: In considering each case, our biggest considerations are sensitivity to the needs of those who are suffering and fairness to all involved.
CNH: How has your service impacted your faith?
Menze: After reading much of the Pennsylvania grand jury report, I am sickened by the abuse that is documented and my heart literally breaks for those abused.
Having interviewed many victims, seen the pain in their eyes and learned, firsthand, how abuse has impacted their lives, I have a different, more visceral sense of the consequences of abuse than most. So, over time, I have learned to compartmentalize the evil represented by abusive behavior.
Moreover, service on the Review Board reminds me of so much good in our Church and the overwhelming majority of religious who have dedicated their lives to our God and who are, I feel unfairly, deemed by some as guilty by association.
The bottom line – I go to Mass on Sunday.
CNH: What else would you like readers to know about the process of responding to abuse allegations in our diocese?
Menze: Several things: Firstly, it is important to know that the Review Board in our diocese functions independently. In almost 10 years of service, I have not felt one ounce of pressure from the Chancery regarding the way an incident is reviewed or a recommendation is rendered. “Respecting the Review Board’s independence” is a part of almost every conversation with the Chancery. Secondly, the incidence of abuse has been reduced in our diocese since the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ directives were issued in 2002. Likely, this is true nationwide as well.
And finally, in my opinion, more needs to be done. Interesting, bishops are specifically excluded from the oversight established by the 2002 USCCB directives.
And recent events tell me that there is a lack of hierarchical discipline which must be corrected and institutional arrogance which must be eradicated throughout the Church before healing can truly occur, even within our diocese.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor
48,900: The number of adults who have received Safe Environment training, called “Protecting God’s Children,” since 2002
56,952: The number of criminal background checks were processed by the diocese since 2002
$1,226,199: How much has been spent on Safe Environment programs and training in the diocese since 2004
What happens when an allegation of sexual abuse is made against a priest or Church worker?
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ABUSE SCANDAL HITS THE CHURCH: WHAT HAPPENS HERE?
What happens when an allegation of sexual abuse is made against a priest or Church worker?
1. Allegation:Made via phone, email, mail, etc.,
to the Diocese of Charlotte Chancery
At the time of reporting an incident of alleged sexual misconduct to the Chancery, the person making the report will be asked to complete the diocesan form “Report of Suspected Ministry Related Sexual Misconduct by Church Personnel” (available on the diocesan website)2. Notification:
The Chancery notifies:
1. Civil Authorities (such as DSS). They conduct their own investigation to determine any possible criminal charges.
2. Diocesan Review Board
3. (In the case of a priest from another diocese or religious order) Their bishop or superior
4. Victim Assistance Coordinator, who is available to provide care and connect them with counseling if requested
5. Accused, who is informed of their rights and placed on administrative leave (for a priest, that means he cannot celebrate the sacraments publicly). He must undergo counseling.
6. Parish
7. Catholic News Herald3. Investigation
1. The Review Board launches an internal investigation, once permitted by civil authorities. An expert investigator is assigned to gather information and report their findings to the Review Board and the Bishop.
2. The Review Board makes a recommendation to the Bishop.4. Determination
In consultation with the Review Board, the Bishop determines the credibility of the allegation.
5. Resolution
Allegation found credible:
The accused is fired or permanently removed from ministry (which means he cannot celebrate the sacraments publicly, wear priestly attire or present himself publicly as a priest), and he is offered counseling and other appropriate measures.
Allegation found not credible:
The case is dismissed, the person who made the allegation is notified, and the employee or clergy returns to ministry at the Bishop’s discretion. Steps are taken publicly to restore his reputation.People involved in the process
VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR
A professional counselor made available to the alleged victim and their family to provide immediate care and connect them with counseling and medical care if desiredEXPERT INVESTIGATOR
Gathers evidence about the alleged abuse and reports their findings to the Review Board and to the bishopREVIEW BOARD
A volunteer consultative body who confidentially advises the bishop. Currently at 8 members, it is mostly comprised of laypeople (but they cannot be diocesan employees). It includes a priest and a lawyer (but not the diocesan attorney), and an expert on the issue of child sexual abuse, typically a psychological counselor. Members serve 5-year terms, which can be renewed by the bishop. Their role is to review allegations of abuse and to make recommendations to the bishop.BISHOP
Makes the final determination on accused priests’ ability to minister in the diocese in accordance with civil law and Church law Practical advice for parents on preventing child abuse
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Practical advice for parents on preventing child abuse
The first step to protecting children from sexual abuse is educating parents about the nature of the problem. Awareness about child sexual abuse – what it is and who commits it – opens the door to some simple steps parents can take to protect children. Awareness, education and responsible parenting give a child the best tools for her or his defense – and the child may be more likely to tell an adult if something happens.
Here are some practical actions parents can take to help protect their children:By virtue of their physical size, adults have power over children – and that increases a child’s vulnerability. For example, parents and other authority figures teach children to “obey adults.” When children hear this message, they may interpret it to mean that all adults have the authority to tell all children what to do, all the time. If this is a child’s interpretation, then the message has created additional vulnerability for the child. Yet, some simple, common sense steps can help minimize a child’s vulnerability.
For example:
- Do not insist that children hug or kiss relatives or friends. Let children express affection on their own terms.
- Let children know that their feelings are important to you. Intervene if you notice that your child is uncomfortable doing something that another adult asks him or her to do. Let the child know that you will protect him or her from this discomfort. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you should let children off the hook when it comes to doing their chores or cleaning up a mess they’ve made.
Learn to recognize and take advantage of teachable moments with children. Be willing to openly discuss sensitive issues. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following age-appropriate conversations with children:
- From ages 18 months to 3 years – begin teaching children the proper names for all body parts.
- Ages 3 to 5 years – teach children about private body parts and how to say “no” to anyone who touches them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable. Give them direct answers to questions about sex.
- Ages 5 to 8 years – talk about good touches and bad touches, and safety away from home.
- Ages 8 to 12 years – focus on personal safety issues.
- Ages 13 to 18 years – discuss issues such as rape, date rape, HIV, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancy.
Games are a great way to reinforce the lessons you teach your children about safety issues. For example, children are always asking parents, “What if?” Using this same game, parents can raise their own concerns and encourage their children to think and make decisions relying on the lessons they have learned.
Teach children to say, “Stop it,” to instructions that might encourage them to do things that they really do not want to do. Reinforce the rule that children should say, “Stop it,” to requests or demands that make them uncomfortable, even if they think they should obey. A discussion of these rules can teach a child that there are some times when it is OK to say, “Stop it,” and other times when it is OK to go along with the instructions. Everything hinges on context. Parents must teach their children how to discern between an appropriate request and an inappropriate request. For example, it is appropriate to follow the instruction to “Be nice,” as long as the instruction is within an appropriate context, such as, “Be nice and don’t throw things at the other children.” But, tell children it’s OK to disobey this request if, for example, someone says, “Be nice and take off your clothes.”
Know where children spend their time. Get to know the adults who show up at the various locations in the community where children gather and where they play together. Be wary of any adult who seems more interested in creating a relationship with a child than with other adults. Pay attention when an adult seems to single out a particular child for a relationship or for special attention. Warning signs include treats, gifts, vacations or other special favors offered only to one specific child.
Make unannounced visits to the child’s nursery, babysitter, daycare center or school. When choosing a nursery, daycare center or school, make sure there are no areas where children play or work that are “off limits” to parents.
- Do not allow a child to go alone on “vacation” with any adult other than the child’s parent.
- Do not allow a child to spend the night alone with any adult other than the child’s parent or another safe adult. (Note: “Safe adult” is a special designation used in the VIRTUS Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program for Parents and Guardians to describe adults who have demonstrated that they behave in a safe manner when interacting with children.)
n Except in the case of a serious emergency, do not allow a child to travel alone – even for a very short distance – with any adult other than the child’s parent or another safe adult. You should also prohibit children from accepting expensive gifts from an adult, particularly if one child is singled out for special attention.Find out if the child’s school or church religious education programs include a sex abuse prevention curriculum. If not, volunteer to be on a committee to establish such a program. Work with teachers to review available programs and make recommendations to administrators. Talk with other parents about supporting the addition of child sexual abuse prevention material to existing child s
afety programs.Parents can make an important difference. However, without a supporting organization to help bring together a community’s resources, experts, and commitment, parents are limited in their ability to impact community-wide child abuse prevention. That’s where we can help.
The Church can join with parents to build a society where children are no longer at risk of being sexually abused, where those who have been victimized can find the resources and courage to heal, and where all people live together in loving, supportive relationships.
— Reprinted with permission from National Catholic Services, LLC. National Catholic provides neither spiritual solutions to individual problems nor legal advice to its clients. Seek the advice of a spiritual director or attorney regarding individual questions or legal advice.
Former Charlotte priest named in letter alleging cover-up of abuse by Archbishop McCarrick
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Former Charlotte priest named in letter alleging cover-up of abuse by Archbishop McCarrick
CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte has found itself connected to the growing scandal surrounding Archbishop Theodore McCarrick. The diocese was mentioned in a former Vatican ambassador’s letter claiming Pope Francis and other Church officials ignored sexual abuse allegations against the retired prelate.
Greg Littleton, a priest who was removed from ministry in the Charlotte diocese in 2004, was named in the Aug. 25 letter by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who served as apostolic nuncio to the United States from 2011 to 2016.
Archbishop Viganò accused Church officials, including Pope Francis, of failing to act on knowledge of Archbishop McCarrick’s alleged sexual misconduct and abuse. He cited Littleton as one of the first to try to bring to light evidence of Archbishop McCarrick’s “grave misdeeds,” in 2006.
Archbishop McCarrick resigned July 28 from the College of Cardinals and was ordered by the pope to maintain “a life of prayer and penance” until a Church trial examines allegations that he sexually abused minors. McCarrick, who retired from active ministry in 2006, has said he is innocent.
Littleton, who lives as a private citizen in North Carolina, did not respond Aug. 27 to requests for comment on the allegations against Archbishop McCarrick.
Littleton’s story has been detailed in blogs that identify him by name and news reports where he is referred to as an unnamed priest. It began in 1987 when Archbishop McCarrick, then head of the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., allegedly abused an unnamed Metuchen seminarian while in New York City.
In 1994, Littleton wrote an account of abuse at the hands of Archbishop McCarrick and claimed that it led to his inappropriate touching of two boys.
In 1997, Littleton came to the Charlotte diocese from the Diocese of Metuchen, where he had received treatment for his 1994 admission and was regarded as a priest in good standing.
Returning priests to ministry after psychological treatment was the practice at the time, diocesan spokesman David Hains said.
Littleton served at St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon and later at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Charlotte.
In the fall of 2002, then Bishop Paul Bootkoski of Metuchen ordered a review of priest personnel files as part of a national investigation of sexual abuse of children in the Church. As a result of the review, in October 2002 the Metuchen diocese sent portions of Littleton’s psychological assessment to the prosecutor’s office in Middlesex County, N.J.
At that time, the Charlotte diocese was made aware information was sent to the prosecutor, but Littleton’s status as a priest in good standing was not changed because no other information about his fitness for ministry was supplied to the diocese.
Unlike the diocese’s current “zero tolerance” policy, the policy in 2002 said the bishop needed a specific allegation in order to take action against a priest — something the diocese did not have in connection with Littleton, Hains told the Catholic News Herald in 2004.
“Today, an investigation would warrant the priest’s removal from active ministry,” he noted in the Feb. 27, 2004, edition, as called for in the U.S. bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.”
In mid-February 2004, Bishop Bootkoski relayed new information regarding Littleton to Bishop Peter Jugis, who had only months before been installed as the fourth bishop of Charlotte.
Bishop Bootkoski said he was including Littleton among Diocese of Metuchen clergy counted in the John Jay study – a nationwide review of abusive clergy by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, under the mandate of the Charter, to investigate the scope of the sexual abuse of minors by priests from 1950 to 2002.
Littleton’s name was on a list of priests of the Metuchen diocese who had been investigated for sexually abusing minors in the 1990s.
After reviewing the new documents sent from New Jersey, Bishop Jugis removed Littleton from ministry as pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Church that same month.
For the approximately seven years Littleton served in the Charlotte diocese, no complaints were filed against him.
The Middlesex County prosecutor later declined to press charges in the matter.
Archbishop Viganò’s letter came on the heels of a New York Times report regarding two seminarians who said they had been abused by Archbishop McCarrick and received financial settlements in the mid-2000s.
The Archdiocese of Newark, where Archbishop McCarrick served from 1986 to early 2001, contributed to an $80,000 settlement payment to Robert Ciolek, who was ordained a priest after the abuse began, but eventually left the priesthood to marry.
The Metuchen diocese made a separate $100,000 settlement in 2007 with an unnamed priest who said he had been abused by Archbishop McCarrick and others.
This priest had submitted one of the earliest written complaints about Archbishop McCarrick, according to the New York Times.
In his letter Archbishop Viganò names this former priest as Littleton.
He said Littleton “recounted his tragic story of sexual abuse by the then-Archbishop of Newark and several other priests and seminarians” and forwarded information to about 20 people, “including civil and ecclesiastical judicial authorities, police and lawyers, in June 2006.”
Archbishop Viganò continued, “The facts attributed to McCarrick by Littleton were of such gravity and vileness as to provoke bewilderment, a sense of disgust, deep sorrow and bitterness in the reader, and that they constituted the crimes of seducing, requesting depraved acts of seminarians and priests, repeatedly and simultaneously with several people, derision of a young seminarian who tried to resist the Archbishop’s seductions in the presence of two other priests, absolution of the accomplices in these depraved acts, sacrilegious celebration of the Eucharist with the same priests after committing such acts.”
He said he shared this information in a memo to his Church superiors in 2006, recommending that an “exemplary measure be taken against the Cardinal” to prevent public scandal to the Church, but he never received a response.
Archbishop Viganò's letter and other allegations of misconduct against Archbishop McCarrick have raised enough questions, the head of the U.S. bishops’ conference said Aug. 27, to warrant action.
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, said in a statement Aug. 27 that the questions raised by Archbishop Viganò “deserve answers that are conclusive and based on evidence.” He reiterated an Aug. 16 call for an apostolic visitation, working with a national lay commission granted independent authority, to investigate the “many questions surrounding Archbishop McCarrick.”
“Without those answers, innocent men may be tainted by false accusation and the guilty may be left to repeat sins of the past,” he said.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, Catholic News Herald; Catholic News Service
SIGNIFICANT DATES
1987 — Archbishop McCarrick allegedly abuses unnamed seminarian for the Diocese of Metuchen in New York City. The former priest received a settlement from the Archdiocese of Newark and Diocese of Metuchen in 2007, as reported by The New York Times July 16, 2018.
1994 — The unnamed Metuchen priest writes a letter to Archbishop McCarrick's successor in Metuchen, Bishop Edward T. Hughes, stating that abuse he allegedly endured from Archbishop McCarrick and other priests triggered him to touch two 15-year-old boys inappropriately. In the letter he also claimed he saw Archbishop McCarrick having sex with a young priest and that the archbishop invited him to be next. The letter was in a file the priest provided to the Times on the condition his name not be used.
2004 — Unnamed priest who wrote letter to Bishop Hughes of Metuchen in 1994 claiming abuse by Archbishop McCarrick resigns under the U.S. church's new zero-tolerance policy against child abuse, based on his admission of having abused children in the 1994 letter.2007 — Unnamed former priest of the Diocese of Metuchen who was allegedly abused as a seminarian in 1987 in New York by Archbishop McCarrick receives a secret settlement of $100,000 from the Diocese of Metuchen and the Archdiocese of Newark.
2018, July 16 — The New York Times publishes a front-page story detailing alleged abuse of two seminarians who became priests in the Diocese of Metuchen, by Cardinal McCarrick in the 1980s that resulted in settlements to both men. These are the settlements concerning "sexual misconduct with adults" as described by the Newark Archdiocese and Diocese of Metuchen June 20.
2018, July 28 — Pope Francis accepts the resignation of Cardinal McCarrick from College of Cardinals and suspends him from public ministry. The pope orders him to a "life of prayer and penance" until the accusations against him are examined in a canonical trial.
Charlotte bishop issues statement on allegations of sexual misconduct against Church leaders
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Charlotte bishop issues statement on allegations of sexual misconduct against Church leaders
CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter Jugis issued a statement Aug. 17 in response to recent allegations of sexual misconduct against Church leaders, including a retired archbishop of Washington, D.C., and the release of a Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing child sexual abuse by hundreds of priests in six dioceses of that state.
One of the 301 priests named in the Aug. 14 grand jury report, Spiritan Father Robert Spangenberg, served at St. James Church in Hamlet for about three years in the mid-1990s.
“Over the past few weeks we have been presented with a lot of shameful revelations about the conduct of leaders and others in the Catholic Church,” Bishop Jugis said. “I have been hearing from many people who feel betrayed and wonder what is going to happen next to our beloved Church.”
Bishop Jugis said he “fully” supports the statement by Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Read the statement.
In that Aug. 16 statement, Cardinal DiNardo called for an investigation into the allegations against Archbishop McCarrick, “an opening of new and confidential channels for reporting complaints against bishops,” and “better procedures” to resolve complains made against bishops.
“We are faced with a spiritual crisis that requires not only spiritual conversion, but practical changes to avoid repeating the sins and failures of the past that are so evident in the recent report,” the cardinal wrote. Those changes will include input from laity, experts and the Vatican, he said.
Details are expected to be considered at the U.S. bishops’ next meeting in November.
— Catholic News Herald
Priest named in Pa. grand jury report once served in Hamlet
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Priest named in Pa. grand jury report once served in Hamlet
CHARLOTTE — One of the priests named in a Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing decades of clergy sex abuse once served in the Diocese of Charlotte.
The grand jury report, issued Aug. 14, details the alleged sexual abuse of children in six Pennsylvania dioceses over the course of 70 years. More than 300 priests have been linked to abuse claims and more than 1,000 victims have been identified.
The late Spiritan Father Robert E. Spangenberg served as pastor of St. James Church in Hamlet from 1994 to 1997, according to parish records. He also served in unspecified ministry in the Diocese of Raleigh from 1977 to 1979, and at a parish in the Diocese of Charleston, S.C., from 1990 to 1992.
He was assigned to the Charlotte diocese by his order, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, otherwise known as the Spiritans. The small parish in the eastern part of the diocese was served by Spiritan priests from 1991 to 1997.
“When he came to the Diocese of Charlotte, nothing in the paperwork indicated there were any issues with his fitness for pastoral duty,” said David Hains, diocesan communications director. “While he was here, there were no complaints about him.”
Father Spangenberg left the Charlotte diocese in 1997 when he was reassigned by his order, which is based in Bethel Park, Pa., to serve with the order’s province council, Hains said.
According to the Pennsylvania grand jury report, Father Spangenberg went on to serve at a parish in Pittsburgh and then as director of a retirement community in Sarasota, Fla., before retiring in 2003.Read Father Spangenberg's reportHe died in 2006, aged 59.
The grand jury report, relying on records provided by the Diocese of Pittsburgh, “revealed that Spangenberg was involved with at least two children, possibly more.”
The grand jury report stated that the Pittsburgh diocese “was first notified that there was a problem with Spangenberg's ministry in 1988. At that time, a woman wrote to the Diocese and to the Vatican in order to obtain help for her son. She named Spangenberg as her son's abuser and stated that another priest from Spangenberg's order was helping them with counseling.”
The Spiritans investigated the abuse allegation, according to the grand jury report, but did not remove Spangenberg from ministry. Instead, he was sent to a Spiritan-run retirement home in Sarasota, Fla., from 1989 to 1990, before being assigned to St. Patrick Church in Charleston, S.C., in 1990.The Charleston diocese issued a statement Aug. 15 confirming Father Spangenberg’s parish assignment and noting, “To the best of our knowledge, there is no record of any allegations of misconduct made against Father Spangenberg while he was assigned to the parish.”
In 2009, a second allegation of abuse was made against Father Spangenberg, the grand jury report also said. “An adult male reported that when he was 15 to 16 years of age, he and Spangenberg engaged in many types of sexual encounters,” it stated, including “street prostitution with young boys” and oral sex in exchange for drugs, alcohol or money that the priest took from the collection box.
“The Diocese and the Spiritans continue to share financial responsibility for the cost of the male's therapy, medication, job searches, criminal court costs and assistance with child support,” the grand jury report stated.
“These incidents are a reminder, once again, that the scars of sexual abuse last a lifetime,” Hains said. “We continue to offer a sincere apology to all victims of sexual abuse and we continue to encourage anyone who is a victim of to contact the authorities.”
Click here for reporting ministry-related abuse of a minor.
CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte has been found in compliance with the U.S. bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” every year since the charter’s inception.
