Archbishop's  Column  by  Archbishop John G. Vlazny

Bankruptcy doesn’t diminish concern for victims
08/20/2004

        More than a month has passed since the Archdiocese of Portland filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in federal court. The Catholic people of western Oregon have been extraordinarily understanding and supportive. I am most grateful. Many of you continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us so that we can be true to our clearly established goals in dealing with the horror of child sexual abuse by our own clergy, namely, the protection of our children and the healing of and reconciliation with all victims. Unfortunately, there are still many who do not believe the filing for bankruptcy was necessary. Some claim, in fact, that it diverts us from the aforementioned goals.

        A major concern has been raised by some victims themselves. They see bankruptcy as another way of laying guilt on those who have already been hurt by these crimes. Victims, they say, are even being portrayed as enemies of the Church. To compound the problem, some victims may even feel guilty because their demands for justice seemingly contributed to the bankruptcy of the archdiocese.

        All of us Catholics here in western Oregon, in spite of our present plight, need to renew our commitment to reach out to victims. The fact that victims did come forward has helped the Catholic community to address this very serious societal problem of child abuse. Catholics understandably struggle when the rest of society regards this as a “Catholic problem.” Yet everyone knows that such an assertion is simply untrue. But our critics in the media and in government prefer keeping the spotlight focused on us. Legislators pass laws to protect the government, but treat the church like another for-profit business. This is not the fault of victims.

        The day before archdiocesan officials met with our creditors during these bankruptcy proceedings, a group of victims came to the Pastoral Center and asked me to deliver a message to you about clergy sexual abuse victims. They were also gathered in prayer when I entered the Federal Courthouse to give testimony at the meeting with creditors on Friday, Aug. 6. They reminded me that the impact of the abuse on them and their families has been severe. They encouraged us all to keep working so that no more children will ever be abused in the Catholic Church. I assure you and them that, in spite of all of our legal problems these past four and a half years, the Catholic community of western Oregon is very serious about trying to protect children and to promote a safe environment for them now and in the future.

        Victims were quite skeptical about our reasons for filing for bankruptcy. They still claim that we don’t want the truth of the crimes and so-called cover-up to emerge in court, and we would rather have victims accept unjust settlements. Bishops have simply become untrustworthy, they say. They would want you too to be skeptical when I talk about the financial hardships of the archdiocese. My credibility is on the line. I can’t do much about that. You can.

        They have also asked that you insist that I open the books of the archdiocese and share whatever information we have about allegations of sexual abuse by priests. Such transparency is a reasonable expectation now and in the future. Unfortunately, what happened in the past, when the alleged perpetrators of crimes as well as the bishops who supposedly mishandled these situations are deceased, presents a very real problem. Statutes of limitations are established precisely because of such problems. Victims have rights that should be respected, but so do others, even those accused of crimes.

        Victims also have asked that I urge witnesses and other victims to come forward. I have done that before, and I reiterate my plea. Some claim that bankruptcy filing might discourage people from doing this. I hope not.

        Last but not least, we must remember that these victims are members of our own church family. Many of them tell me they no longer darken our church doors. I often respond by telling them that I hope and pray some day they will return, and I do believe we are the ones best equipped by our faith, our shared experience of hurt and pain and our tradition of Christian compassion to make genuine healing possible. So many victims have come forward with deep hurts but also with a sincere desire to help us make things right again. Others have found it difficult to do this and have either abandoned their faith entirely or found other churches to serve their spiritual needs. I have assured the latter group that God certainly understands their reluctance and is simply grateful that they have found a way to stay in touch, in spite of it all.

        No one has ever asked, but I would like to let you know what it’s like to be a bishop in the midst of all the pain and uncertainty of so many people. I presently look upon myself as the father of a divided and troubled family. Some of those for whom I am responsible were seriously offended many years ago by persons whom they had every reason to trust. They claim that some of my predecessors, all of whom are dead, were unjust and irresponsible in dealing with these offenses. As a result, they want compensation and punitive damages from the rest of the family.

        My task is to reach out to victims with compassion and to provide just compensation. But it is also my responsibility to protect the mission of the church of today so that the rest of the family can be supported in its efforts to be a community of faith, to worship the Lord, to educate the children and to reach out to the poor and needy. Bankruptcy seemed to give me an opportunity to serve the needs of both groups in an acceptable forum provided by the law.

        The secular press will surely keep all of us well informed about the bankruptcy proceedings that are currently taking place and will continue into an uncertain future. Meanwhile we must also do what we can to carry on our church’s evangelizing mission. I renew my commitment to serve you as capably and generously as I can. I’m sorry that the bankruptcy proceedings have forced us for a time to set aside some of our other desirable goals. Let’s not forget that our church is still God’s Church. To Him we entrust all that we are and all that we have. God bless.
 

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