Religious orders say they won't defrock abusive priests

Social justice news
September 2002

Churches issue call to stop the rush to war
Church calls for human dignity in sustainable development
Pax Christi USA calls for 'pledge of resistance' against attack on Iraq
Religious orders won't defrock abusive priests
USAID reports hunger stalks Palestinian children
U.S. women religious pass resolution for peace
VOTF meetings banned on church property

Religious orders won't defrock abusive priests
With the media whirlwind surrounding the U.S. bishops' development of new policies on sex abuse, a fact that was often overlooked is that one- third of all U.S. priests are actually members of religious orders and not directly responsible to any bishop or diocese. The leaders of those religious orders had a national meeting of their own in August and developed a separate set of guidelines to govern their members.

The leaders comprise the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM), a group that often collaborates with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. But as opposed to the bishops' policy that holds a standard close to "zero tolerance," defrocking priests found to be guilty of sexual abuse of a minor, the religious orders say they will remove a priest from active ministry but will not strip the priest of his collar.

Father Ted Keating, executive director of CMSM, made the case for keeping abusive priests in the order because the order is responsible for the man's well being and has promised to care for him. "Religious orders are in a better position to protect children by making sure that an offender is in a closely supervised environment," he said, "We can't just throw a member out on the street with no job and no money. We have a responsibility to take care of him as a brother, a member of the family. This is a more effective way of protecting children from further abuse.

"Many of the men who have abused are sick and need help themselves. For those who have been through a treatment program, are willing to acknowledge their responsibility, and cooperate in their recovery, rehabilitation is possible. Even though they cannot return to public ministry, there would be a place for them within the religious community."

The U.S. bishops did make it clear that any priest in a diocesan ministry found to have committed abuse, whether he belongs to a religious order or not, will be removed from the diocesan post. Ultimately, though, responsibility still lies with the priest's superior in the order and the order would ultimately decide if the priest were fit to remain in the order.

The CMSM has no actual jurisdiction or power of enforcement over leaders of individual religious orders, which leads some critics to say this is a policy with no teeth, or merely a program for suggested conduct. A statement from CMSM says, "Individual congregations may develop their own models for accountability." Thus, it remains to be seen how the CMSM guidelines will play out in actual cases.

The CMSM statement also included a paragraph on the value of celibacy for priests, dismissing the claim by commentators in recent months that celibacy is a disordered way of life and may be a cause of sexual dysfunction among priests. "Celibacy finds its source in the life and teachings of Jesus and in the most ancient traditions of our religious institutes," the statement reads, "It is imposed by no one, and is rooted in the journey to God that is at the heart of monastic and religious life. Whatever happens with the discipline of celibacy that is associated with the diocesan priesthood, celibacy will remain a treasured feature of religious life. We see it as the ultimate witness to the holiness of sexuality, not as flight from it or repression of it."—Tara Dix

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