February 26, 2004
Reverend and dear Fathers and Deacons,
Tomorrow, February 27, the Roman Catholic Bishops of the United States will take two more steps in addressing the crisis of clergy sexual abuse. First, the bishops will release a summary compilation of the extent of this problem in our Church over the last fifty years. You will also hear of a study document that has been independently prepared by the National Review Board. That study document constitutes the personal reflections of some very prudent people about the causes of this crisis. By the time you get this letter, you will likely have already heard a summary of the numerical portion of tomorrow’s news. I will work with my staff to get you, in some form, the results of the study done by the National Review Board.
I am enclosing some materials that I hope will be helpful to you in your ministry settings. You will find a copy of our Archdiocese’s statement on the matters and some answers that may prove helpful to you in responding to specific questions. This is intended as a briefing document for you and not for broader distribution. Both the John Jay study report and the |National Review Board report are available to you on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website www.usccb.org. Summaries of the reports will also be available on our Archdiocesan web-site www.archspm.org. If you need a hard copy of the summaries please contact our Communications office at 651-291-4411.
You will note that the numbers of abuse incidents in our Archdiocese over the last fifty years was significantly smaller than the average number of such incidents across our nation. Some people may suggest that this indicates that there are a large number of as yet undisclosed problems. While I am certain there are some unreported crimes in our history (that is the nature of this secretive violation), I do not believe it is true that there are large numbers of such complaints still festering. This Archdiocese has undergone a degree of public scrutiny equal to or greater than any other institution in the United States. While we will always respectfully and open mindedly receive any new complaints about present or past misconduct, I am confident that the painful process of opening memories is well advanced here.
Even though the incidence of abuse was smaller here than in many other places, I know you agree with me that even one violation of trust by our priests and deacons is absolutely unacceptable. Some will suggest that tomorrow’s announcements could be seen as constituting the end of the crisis that began in Boston over two years ago. If it is true that we are moving out of a period of crisis, I want to be certain that we recognize that we are not going to return to a “business as usual” approach. I urge you to join me in continuing to learn what is necessary for genuinely trustworthy ministry, and also to help our people learn so that we can address abuse elsewhere in our culture. I ask your continued support for those who have been harmed by clergy in the past. I ask your attentiveness to brother priests and deacons, especially urging those who show signs of distress in their life to seek help. Of course, I ask you to call on public authorities whenever it is necessary to do so to protect children or other vulnerable people.
The last twenty five months have been painful for us. They have also been a time of grace, especially for the grace of repentance and the grace of new learning. I now wish you blessings in the Lenten season. I remain
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn, D.D.
Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis