Less than two weeks after Pope Francis convened a worldwide summit on eradicating the sexual abuse of minors by clergy, the Catholic bishops in New Jersey have issued a statement in which they detail their ongoing efforts, many dating back to 2002, to ensure safe environments for children and youth, deal with clergy charged with abuse and assist the victims in their process of healing. The statement was provided to 120 state legislators and media outlets March 4 by the New Jersey Catholic Conference.
Signed by the heads of the five (arch)dioceses, including Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., of the Diocese of Trenton, along with two auxiliary bishops from Newark, the statement affirms the efforts of Pope Francis to bring the Church around the world up to the same high standards for child protection that have been in place in New Jersey for the past two decades. Key among the noted actions that have been underway since 2002 is the immediate reporting by the dioceses of all allegations of abuse to public authorities, whether the person bringing the complaint is now an adult, no matter how long ago the abuse is alleged to have occurred, and whether or not the accused is living or deceased.
The New Jersey bishops’ decision to establish a Victims’ Compensation Program and the options the program will provide victims is also recapped in the March 4 statement. The bishops note that the program will offer “victims a speedy, transparent and non-adversarial process to resolve their claims with a significantly lower level of proof and corroboration than required in a court of law.”
The statement reasserts the New Jersey bishops’ intent to prevent any future abuse, pledging that they “stand ready
, as we have for the past two decades.”