Author Archives: Tereza Ma

How to Respond

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Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI

IN EXILE
By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
Sometimes all you can do is to put your mouth to the dust and wait. That’s a counsel from the Book of Lamentations and while perhaps not the best response to the recent revelations of clerical sexual abuse and cover-up in the Roman Catholic Church, it seems the only helpful response available to me as Roman Catholic priest today. Beyond prayer, I’ve been hesitant to respond otherwise to this current situation for three reasons.
My first hesitation has to do with the seeming futility of yet another apology and breast-beating. Since the report on sexual abuse and clerical cover-up was released in Pennsylvania a few weeks back, there have been apologies issued by virtually every diocese, every parish and every priest in America, including one from the Pope himself. While these apologies have been almost universally sincere, non-defensive, and rightly focused on the victims, they’ve also for the most part not been well-received. More generally the response has been: “What good does that do now! Where were you when this was all happening?” The apologies have generally met with more cynicism and anger than acceptance. And yet it’s important that they be made, though I’m not sure my adding another one will be helpful.
My second hesitancy stems from the fact that there’s so much anger and grief around this issue right now that words, even the right ones, generally don’t hit their mark, akin to telling someone freshly grieving the death of loved one that “she’s in a better place.” The words are true, but moment’s too raw for the words to be heard. They only become effective later. And that’s the situation now; we’re in a time of raw anger and dark grief. These are in fact the same emotion (just that one’s hard and the other soft) and so for many people dealing with the revelations of clerical sexual abuse and cover-up right now, apologies, while necessary, are not being heard. The moment is too raw.
And, one last hesitation: As a priest with a vow of celibacy I’m painfully aware that right now I’m at an understandable disadvantage to speak out on this. Victims speak from a position of moral privilege, rightly so, their voices carry extra authority; but those who stand symbolically connected to the perpetrators, and that’s me, are understandably heard with suspicion. I accept that. How could it be otherwise? At this particularly charged moment, what moral authority can my voice carry on this issue? What does my apology add?
But, for what it’s worth, even given those caveats, I do offer an apology: As Roman Catholic priest, I want to publicly say that what’s happened in the church in terms of sexual abuse by the clergy and cover-up by the hierarchy is inexcusable, deeply sinful, has harmed thousands of lives irrevocably and needs radical redress in terms of reaching out to the victims and of prompting structural change in the church to ensure that this will never happen again.
Let me add something else: First, as a Roman Catholic priest, I do not distance myself from this by morally separating myself from those who have done wrong by declaring: “They’re guilty and I’m not!” The cross of Jesus doesn’t allow such an escape. Jesus was crucified between two thieves. He was innocent, they weren’t; but he didn’t protest his innocence, and those looking at three crosses that day didn’t distinguish between who was innocent and who was guilty. The crosses were all painted with the same brush. There are times when one does not protest one’s innocence. Part of Jesus’ mission, as our liturgy puts it, was “to become sin for us,” to risk having his innocence mixed in with guilt and be perceived as sin so as to help carry darkness and sin for others.
Beyond our apologies, all of us, clergy and laity alike, are invited to do something for the church right now, namely, help carry this scandal as Jesus did. Indignantly separating ourselves morally from this sin is not the way of Jesus and the cross.
Like Mary standing under the cross, we must not replicate the anger and darkness of the moment so as to give it back in kind. Instead, like her, we must do the only thing possible sometimes when standing beneath the consequence of sin, that is, let our posture, like Mary’s, speak deeply through a voice that, unlike bitterness or collapse, says: “Today, I can’t stop this darkness, nobody can. Sometimes darkness just has its hour. But I can stop some of the sin and bitterness that’s in the moment by absorbing it, not distancing myself from it, and not giving it back in kind.” Sometimes darkness has its moment and we, followers of Jesus, may not self-servingly distance ourselves from the sin but need to help absorb it.
Sometimes all we can do is put our mouths to the dust … and pray … and wait. Knowing that, at some future time, the stone will again roll away from the tomb.

(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser, theologian, teacher and award-winning author, is President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX.)

Facing facts, coming to terms with one’s past bring peace

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By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – People need to make peace with their lives and anything they are running from, rather than lose themselves to escapism and playful distraction, Pope Francis said.
There is an “industry of distraction” in full force today, which paints the ideal world as being “a big playground where everybody has fun” and the ideal individual as one who “makes money in order to have fun, find satisfaction” in the many “vast and diverse avenues of pleasure,” he said Sept. 5 during his weekly general audience.
Such an attitude leads to “dissatisfaction with an existence anesthetized by fun, which isn’t rest, but alienation and escaping from reality,” he added. “People have never been able to rest like they can today and yet people have never felt as much emptiness as they do today.”

Pope Francis greets the crowd during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Sept. 5. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

The pope continued his series of audience talks about the Ten Commandments, focusing on keeping the Lord’s day holy.
It seems like an easy commandment to fulfill, he said, but it isn’t because people need to recognize there is a false kind of rest marked by avoidance and distraction, and authentic rest, which is being at peace with and giving thanks for the gift of life.
After God made the heavens and the earth, he rested, making the seventh day holy. This day reflects “God’s joy for all he created. It is a day of contemplation and blessing” and giving praise – not running away, the pope said.
“It is a time for looking at reality and saying, ‘How beautiful life is!’” he said. “To the idea of rest as escaping reality, the commandment responds with rest as blessing reality.”
In fact, the Eucharist, which lies at the heart of Sunday, means “thanksgiving,” he said; it is a day to thank the Lord for his mercy, his gifts and for the gift of life.
Sunday, he added, is a day to come to terms with one’s life, to find peace – realizing life is not easy, “but it is precious.”
So many people have so many options available for having fun, but they are not at peace with their lives, he said.
“Distancing themselves from the bitter wounds of their heart, people need to make peace with the thing they are running from. It is necessary to reconcile with one’s past, with the facts one is not facing, with the difficult parts of one’s own existence,” he said, asking everyone to reflect on whether they have come to terms with their own life.
Finding peace is a choice, he said. It is not changing one’s past, but is becoming reconciled with what has happened, “to accept and give value” to one’s life.

Nine admitted to candidacy for permanent diaconate

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PEARL – Bishop Joseph Kopacz admitted nine men to candidacy for the permanent diaconate on Saturday, Sept. 8, during a Mass for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary at St. Jude Parish. The men and their families have spent a year in what is called aspirancy, spending time together in study, prayer and discernment. Candidacy is the next step in their five-year journey. They will continue with study and formation in hopes of being ordained for the diocese. Permanent deacons dedicate themselves to service to the church. The candidates are (l-r, not all faces visible) Mark Bowden, Dien Hoang, Kayed Jwainat, Wesley Lindsay, John Pham, David Rouch, Anthony Schmidt, and Edwin Wilson. (Photo by Rhonda Bowden)

Bishop schedule

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Tuesday, Sept. 18, 9:30 a.m. – Day of Dialog, Catholic Committee of the South, St. Dominic Toulouse Center.
Thursday, Sept. 13-23 – National V Encuentro, Grapevine, Texas.
Wednesday, Sept. 26, 5:30 p.m. – Parish Supper and RCIA class, McComb St. Alphonsus Parish.
Friday, Sept. 28, 6:30 p.m. – Invocation at Homecoming Football game, Madison St. Joseph School.
Sunday, Sept. 30, 8:30 a.m. – Mass of installation for Father Augustine Palimattam, Meridian St. Joseph Parish.
11 a.m. – Mass of installation for Father Augustine Palimattam, Meridian St. Patrick Parish.
Thursday, Oct. 4, 11 a.m. – St. Richard Special Kids Golf Tournament, Deerfield Country Club.
Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m. – Mass, Forest St. Michael Parish.
Monday, Oct. 5- Thursday, Oct 11 – Clergy formation convocation, Northeast Conference Center, Meridian.

Only public events are listed on this schedule and all events are subject to change.
Please check with the local parish for further details

Corazón de la Iglesia: palabra, adoración, comunidad, servicio

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Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz

Por Obispo Joseph Kopacz
El anuncio del Evangelio de Marcos, proclamado el domingo 9 de septiembre, de la curación del hombre que sufría de sordera, acompañada por un impedimento del habla, revela la misión del Señor Jesús y de la Iglesia. “El Verbo se hizo carne y vivió entre nosotros” (Prólogo del Evangelio de San Juan). En este milagro único, la humanidad y la divinidad de Jesús brillan. En resumen, Jesús respondió a la súplica de la multitud bulliciosa al separarse con el hombre para lograr su cura. Jesús tocó sus oídos y escupiendo, tocó su lengua y mirando al cielo, gimió y dijo: “que sean abiertos”. En ese momento el cielo y la tierra estaban en armonía y la curación física conducía a alabanzas de gratitud que no podían ser silenciadas.
Desde el principio, la misión de la Iglesia, con la mente y el corazón de Jesucristo y en el poder del Espíritu Santo, trajo su mensaje salvador a todos los que tenían oídos para escuchar. De la carta de Santiago, también de las escrituras del último fin de semana, escuchamos que las divisiones surgieron al principio en la incipiente comunidad cristiana. A los ricos se les dio un tratamiento de primera clase y los pobres se quedaron en los márgenes de la comunidad reunida. Inmediatamente, el Espíritu de Dios convenció e iluminó a los discípulos para cambiar su forma de pensar y actuar. En virtud de la sangre salvadora del Señor que une a los que están lejos y los que están cerca (Efesios), todos los bautizados tienen igual dignidad alrededor de la mesa del Señor, ricos y pobres, judíos y griegos, hombres y mujeres, esclavos y libres (Gálatas) Los primeros cristianos aprendieron rápidamente en Jerusalén, cuando recordamos los Hechos de los Apóstoles, que la orden de los diáconos se estableció por Diakonia – servicio amoroso – para satisfacer las necesidades crecientes de la comunidad de Jerusalén. La acción del Señor en la Última Cena, cuando lavó los pies de sus discípulos, fomentó la visión de los primeros cristianos quienes se cuidaban unos a otros de una manera totalmente desconocida en el Imperio Romano. En contraste con la cultura brutal del primer siglo, el cristianismo y los primeros cristianos fueron cálidos, acogedores, amables y generosos y la cultura cristiana primitiva fue profundamente personal. Extendieron el toque salvador y sanador del Señor sin costo para muchos al margen de la sociedad
La palabra, el culto, la comunidad y el servicio marcaron a estos primeros cristianos y, de hecho, se abrieron los oídos para escuchar la Palabra salvadora, las bocas se unieron en alabanza y las manos en servicio amoroso. Con el tiempo, a los diáconos se les confió la administración de los recursos materiales de la Iglesia, y el rapaz Imperio Romano pensó que podría enriquecer sus arcas confiscando la propiedad y la riqueza de los cristianos. A mediados del siglo III, el Diácono Lawrence, quien en su martirio se convirtió en el patrón de Roma, recibió la orden de entregar la riqueza de la Iglesia al gobernador. Reunió a los pobres, a los cojos, a los ciegos, a los leprosos, etc. y los exhibió ante el gobernador, anunciando que éstos eran la riqueza y la fortuna de la Iglesia. Esto no lo impresionó y martirizaron a Lawrence sobre un carbón ardiente. De maneras creativas, en diferentes momentos y escenarios mundiales, la Iglesia ha encarnado la misión de Jesucristo de tocar el mundo con la curación, la esperanza y una nueva vida en el Reino de Dios.
El viernes 7 de septiembre por la noche, Jim Caveizel hizo una aparición especial en Jackson en nombre de Caridades Católicas (Catholic Charities, por su nombre en inglés) e inspiró a todos por su profundo compromiso con el Señor y su fe católica. Comenzó su presentación con un clip de la Madre Teresa en el discurso de aceptación del Premio Nobel de la Paz en 1977. La piedra angular de su inspirador discurso fue que nunca habrá paz mientras el aborto haga estragos a la vida en el útero. Eso hizo que más de unos pocos en el público se sintieran incómodos en esa ocasión, pero Santa Teresa de Calcuta no se disculpó porque la dignidad de la vida está en todas las etapas. Ella capturó la imaginación de todo el mundo cuando se adentró en la suciedad y la miseria de los peores barrios de Calcuta, India. Cada día que se despertaba, trabajaba con los olvidados, con los más pobres entre los pobres, las víctimas del HIV, y los cuidaba como si fuera el mismo Jesús. A partir de esta introducción, Jim Caveizel resaltó el trabajo de Caridades Católicas como un ejemplo vivo que respira lo que significa pertenecer a Jesucristo y aceptar su misión. Escuchar y seguir el llamado del Señor, observó Caveizel, puede tener un gran costo, pero ¿de qué sirve ganar todo el mundo y perder el alma? Cuando el Señor nos toca, entendemos los versículos finales de las escrituras del último domingo de la carta de Santiago, “somos llamados a ser ricos en fe, herederos del Reino, que Dios prometió a los que lo aman”. Durante estos días de angustia por muchas víctimas de abuso sexual y sus familias, y por aquellos que aman a la Iglesia, que nuestras oraciones gimientes dirigidas al cielo y nuestras acciones de servicio amoroso abran los corazones y las mentes de todos los que sufren y reciban la curación del Señor, la esperanza y la paz.

Heart of the Church: word, worship, community, service

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Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
The proclamation from the Gospel of Mark of the healing of the man who suffered from deafness and an accompanying speech impediment, the one proclaimed on Sunday, Sept. 9, reveals the mission of the Lord Jesus and of the Church. “The Word became flesh and dwells among us.” (Prologue of Saint John’s Gospel) In this unique miracle, the humanity and divinity of Jesus shine forth. In summary, Jesus responded to the plea of the raucous crowd by going apart with the man to accomplish the cure. Jesus touched his ears, and spitting, touched his tongue and looking up to heaven he groaned and said, “be opened.” In that moment heaven and earth were in harmony and the physical healing led to praise and gratitude that could not be silenced.
From the beginning, the mission of the Church, with the mind and heart of Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, brought his saving message to all who had ears to hear. From the letter of Saint James, also from last weekend’s scripture, we hear that divisions emerged at the outset in the fledging Christian community. The rich were given first class treatment and the poor were left to stand on the margins of the gathered community. Immediately the Spirit of God convicted and enlightened the disciples to change their manner of thinking and acting. By virtue of the saving blood of the Lord who unites those who are far off and those who are near (Ephesians), all of the baptized have equal dignity around the table of the Lord, rich and poor, Jew and Greek, male and female, slave and free. (Galatians)
The early Christians learned quickly in Jerusalem when we recall in the Acts of the Apostles that the order of deacons was established for Diakonia, loving service, to meet the growing needs of the Jerusalem community. The action of the Lord at the Last Supper when he washed his disciples feet fostered the vision for the early Christians who cared for one another in a manner totally unheard of in the Roman Empire. In contrast to the brutal culture of the first century, Christianity and the first Christians were warm, inviting, kind and generous, and early Christian culture was deeply personal. They extended the saving and healing touch of the Lord without cost to many on the margins of society.
Word, worship, community and service marked these early Christians, and indeed, ears were opened to hear the saving Word, and mouths followed in praise, and hands in loving service. Over time, the deacons were entrusted with the administration of the Church’s material resources, and the rapacious Roman Empire thought that they could enrich their coffers by confiscating the property and wealth of the Christians. In the middle of the third century, Deacon Lawrence, who in his martyrdom became the patron of Rome, was ordered to cough up the Church’s wealth to the governor. He gathered up the poor, the lame, the blind the leprous, etc. and paraded them before the governor announcing that these are the Church’s wealth and fortune. Not amused, they martyred Lawrence over a hot coals. In creative ways in different times and in worldwide settings, the Church has embodied the mission of Jesus Christ to touch the world with healing, hope and new life in the Kingdom of God.
On Friday evening, Sep. 7, Jim Caveizel made a cameo appearance in Jackson on behalf of Catholic Charities and inspired all with his deep commitment to the Lord and his Catholic faith. He began his presentation with a clip from Mother Teresa’s acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977. The cornerstone of her inspiring speech was that there will never be peace as long as abortion ravages life in the womb. That made more than a few in the audience uncomfortable on that occasion but she was unapologetic about the dignity of life at all stages. She captured the imagination of the whole world when she went into the filth and squalor of the worst neighborhoods of Calcutta, India. Each day she woke up, she worked with the forgotten ones, the poorest of the poor, the HIV victims, and cared for them as if there were Jesus himself.
From this intro, Jim Caveizel affirmed the work of Catholic Charities as a living and breathing example of what it means to belong to Jesus Christ and to embrace his mission. Hearing and following the call of the Lord, Caveizel noted, can come at great cost, but what good is it to gain the whole world and to lose one’s soul. When the Lord touches us, we understand the closing verses of last Sunday’s Scripture from the letter of James, “we are called to be rich in faith, heirs of the Kingdom, that God promised to those who love him.”
During these days of anguish for many victims of sexual abuse and their families, and for those who love the Church, may our groaning prayers directed to heaven, and our actions of loving service, open the hearts and minds of all who are suffer with the Lord’s healing, hope and peace.

Happy Stitchers use craft to spread love

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MADISON – Beginning in January of 2017, a small number of ladies at St. Catherine’s Village began crocheting blankets and placing stuffed animals and a Bible in them with a note, saying ‘Jesus Loves You.’ As they crochet, the ladies pray for the recipient of the gift. Father Frank Cosgrove blesses both the gifts and the ladies who make them. Kim Thomason of Catholic Charities, assists with distributing the packages. (Photos by Kim Thomason)

Parish calendar

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
BROOKSVILLE The Dwelling Place, Life Lines: Finding the Pearl of Great Price, October 12-13. Life Lines is a writing experience in which the narrative technique of storytelling is used to focus on different life experiences, painful or joy-filled, that are uniquely yours. Facilitator: Raymond Komar, Ph.D. has 35+ years of helping develop and hone writing skills. Begins with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Donations: $100 Details: (662) 738-5348 or email dwellpl@gmail.com.
GREENWOOD Locus Benedictus Retreat Center, Retreat hosted by Knights of Columbus #5267, Saturday, October 13 from 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Presenter: Father Ted Dorcey, C.Ss.R. All Knights are welcome to participate. Cost is $25. Includes continental breakfast and lunch. Details: Father Ted at teddorcey@yahoo.com.
JACKSON 40 Days for Life Kick-Off, Sunday, September 23 at 2:30 p.m. on the sidewalks at 2903 North State Street and the vigil will commence on Wednesday, September 26. 40 Days for Life is a peaceful, intensive campaign that focuses on prayer and fasting for the unborn in our state. Keynote speaker is Natalie Farber Brumfield, chapter leader for Birmingham Bound4Life. Details: Barbara Beavers at (601) 956-8636 or plm@prolifemississippi.org.
SOUTHAVEN Christ the King, National Prayer Event – Let’s Life Chain America, Sunday, October 7, 2-3 p.m. Life Chain is a peaceful, prayerful public witness of pro-life Americans standing for one hour of prayer for our nation and an end to abortion. Details: Barbara Dean (901) 486-6470 or Mary Ann (662) 429-7851 or (662) 429-0501.

PARISH, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EVENTS
CLARKSDALE Catholic Community of St. Elizabeth, “Who Am I to Judge: Responding to Relativism with Logic and Love,” a new Bible study begins Wednesday, October 3. Join scholar Edward Sri in discussing cultural questions about morality for all people. Details: church office (662) 624-4301.
CLEVELAND First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 101 North Bolivar Avenue, Women’s Resource Center Annual Banquet, Tuesday, October 2, 6 p.m. Supports those who have unplanned and difficult pregnancy situations. Free but seating is limited. Details: Our Lady of Victories church office (662) 846-6273.
COLUMBUS Annunciation, Spaghetti lunch in appreciation of support of the ministry of St. Vincent de Paul, Sunday, September 30, following 10:30 a.m. Mass. Details: church office (662) 328-2927.
GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph, 32nd annual GermanFest is Sunday, September 30, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. The family-oriented festival is best known for its delicious German food and authentic German Folk music provided by the band, Polkameisters from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Cost: Advance meal tickets are $6 and are available from parishioners. Meals the day of the festival will be $7. Details: church office (601) 856-2054.
HERNANDO Holy Spirit, Men’s Association Fall fish fry, Friday, October 5, 4-8 p.m. Cost: Adults $10; children $5. Proceeds go to support Interfaith Food Bank, Catholic Social Services and the Cindy Pretti Scholarship Fund. Details: Sal Galtelli (662) 429-5071 or Lee Smith (662) 233-4833.
JACKSON Holy Ghost All School Reunion, Save the Date, October 12-14. Details: Mary Udoh at (601) 750-3622.
St. Peter Cathedral, Fall Gala, Saturday, November 10, 6:30-10 p.m. at the Railroad District, 824 South State Street Details: church office (601) 969-3125.
St. Richard, John Maxwell’s “Blind Man Looking” one-act play, Thursday, September 20, 6:30 p.m. at Foley Hall. Maxwell had a curiosity about a story in the Bible, John: 9. Details: church office (601) 366-2335.
St. Richard Special Kids Day Golf tournament, Deerfield Golf Club, Thursday, October 4. The unique gifts of the children in the Special Kids program are recognized and applauded while the community participates in a day full of fun excitement and fundraising. Raffle tickets on sale for a Mother’s Day Beach Weekend May 9-12 at Ocean Breeze West in Pensacola. Details: Rusty Haydel, (601) 953-9711 rusdale@aol.com or Shannon Garner, (601) 366-2335 garner@saintrichard.com.
LELAND St. James, Tuesday, September 25, Annual Parish Fair. Volunteers are needed. Details: church office (662) 686-7352.
MADISON St. Francis of Assisi, “A Taste of St. Francis” annual multicultural event, Sunday, September 30, in the Family Life Center following 10:30 Mass. Details: church office (601) 856-5556 or Amy Hornback (601) 953-4182 for more information about how you can volunteer and cook/bring a dish.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Saturday, September 22, “Lay Holiness in Ministry and Mission” presented by Dr. Thomas Neal in celebration of the 6th anniversary of the O’Connor Family Life Center dedication. Dr. Neal is a recognized authority in the field of lay ministry and currently is Professor of Pastoral and Spiritual Theology at Notre Dame Seminary. Late registration from 9 – 9:30 a.m. and program is from 9:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. Early registration is encouraged so that an accurate lunch count can be made. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.
PEARL St. Jude, Tom Logue Memorial Chili Cook-off, Sunday, November 11, 5:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. All proceeds go to a needy family. Details: Nat Zummo (601) 573-3184 or zummonat@bellsouth.net.

Reason for hope: Diocese of Jackson’s commitment to our children

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The Diocese of Jackson has a plan and a team in place to prevent and to respond to allegations of sexual abuse against minors. The topic is a fresh wound in our Church since the release of a grand jury report out of Pennsylvania detailing a horrifying pattern of abuse and coverups in six dioceses in that state as well as revelations of years of abuse at the hands of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

Bishop Joseph Kopacz met with the priests, lay ecclesial ministers, permanent deacons and other pastoral leadership of the diocese in August to hear their concerns and yours. Your pastors passed along your anger, devastation, and prayers. We are grateful for all these emotions. Your anger is righteous, your devastation shows the depths of your faith and your prayers are much needed for the Church.
In response to those meetings as well as the many calls, emails and conversations chancery staff and pastors have had with you, the faithful, we want you to know what has been done, what we continue to do and what’s in store for the future. Bishop Kopacz describes this approach as having four aspects: our safe environment program, victims’ assistance, cooperation with law enforcement and transparency.
To start- an assurance of transparency: A handful of bishops across the U.S. are inviting their state Attorneys General to review their files. The Diocese of Jackson did that back in 2002. In response to both the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ pending Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, and a contemporary case being presented to the state attorney, diocesan leadership decided the best course of action was to be proactive. A member of the diocesan review board and the vicar general at that time reviewed an accounting of all known cases with staff at the attorney general’s office.
Since that time, all new credible allegations have been turned over to the district attorneys in the counties where the abuse is alleged to have happened.
The bishop has reviewed these cases in-depth in the last few weeks to make sure the diocese has done its due diligence in offering care to victims of abuse, reporting cases to law enforcement and informing local communities about cases. Bishop Kopacz will approach the current Mississippi Attorney General’s Office to offer review of all substantiated cases of the abuse of minors by clergy reported since the 2002 meeting.
Safe Environment:
Anyone who offers to volunteer at any parish, school, or institution affiliated with the Diocese of Jackson will first be asked to submit to a criminal background screening. Some 15,613 employees and volunteers have been vetted in this way since the diocese initiated criminal background screenings in 2004. If the screening is clear, the volunteer or employee will begin to receive training in how to recognize the warning signs of abuse, how to report it and how to protect the children in their care from predators.
The diocese uses a company called VIRTUS for safe environment training. It starts with a live-training session with a VIRTUS facilitator. Ongoing adult training continues every month in the form of an email with an article about the latest research or information on fostering safe environments in the Church, in the home, and in society. VIRTUS has developed both the lessons and the database management program used to show who is continuing to take their training and who is not compliant. There are about 4,600 adults currently active, including clergy, religious and lay employees.
Moreover, children are better informed now than ever before. This year, the diocese has implemented VIRTUS’ curriculum for children in parish religious education programs as well as the Catholic schools. In these lessons, children learn about safe and healthy boundaries and what they can do if someone tries to violate them in Church-sponsored programs, and in their daily lives. During the last fiscal year, 7,602 children received an age-appropriate safe environment lesson.
Vickie Carollo, the safe environment coordinator, and Fran Lavelle, director of faith formation, will visit every parish and school during this fiscal year to audit their participation in the Protection of Children program. Carollo has performed these audits since 2003 because we know that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
The Diocese of Jackson has had a policy to respond to credible allegations of sexual abuse since 1987, long before the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released the Charter. The early document was less detailed than today’s version but delineated the commitment of the diocese on responding to abuse, removing offenders, assisting victims, and promoting safe environment. The policy was revised in 1994 when an Independent Review Board of lay Catholics was established. This is a consultative body that assesses the credibility of all allegations of sexual abuse against minors and advises the bishop accordingly. This board remains an essential resource for Bishop Kopacz, as it was for Bishop Houck and Bishop Latino. The current board includes two psychologists, a physician and two professional business people.
Victim’s assistance:
When an allegation is made, it triggers a number of responses. First, if the victim is a child – even if the abuse is just a suspicion – the case is turned over to the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services and then to either Carollo’s office or the vicar general’s office.
In the case of an adult who comes forward years later, he or she is offered professional counseling at no cost. A victim does not need to give his or her name to the diocese to receive this service. Valerie McClellan is the victims’ assistance coordinator for the diocese. She can offer counseling based out of Jackson. If the victim lives out of state, she can arrange for a counselor in the victim’s community. The goal is to offer a healing opportunity to the victim and his or her family.
Likewise, McClellan will gather as much information about the abuse as possible and, with the victim’s consent, turn it over to the diocese. The vicar general, through the diocesan attorney, hires a private investigator to begin to look into the case and the accused is removed from active ministry or suspended while the investigator prepares a report for the review board.
The review board meets without the bishop present and votes on what actions to recommend to the bishop. When the allegation is judged to be credible the abuser is removed from ministry as soon as possible.
Cooperation with Law Enforcement:
If a case is deemed credible, the vicar general’s office will inform the district attorney in the county where the abuse happened. The bishop withdraws faculties from an ordained accused abuser at this time.
The vicar general’s office prepares a statement to be read at Masses or other parish gatherings in the communities where the alleged abuser has served. The statement will never name a victim, but will name the alleged perpetrator and encourage other victims to come forward. These statements are now also posted to the diocesan website.
Even if there are no active cases of abuse being investigated, each parish must regularly publish a statement encouraging victims to report abuse. A recent study indicates that it can take an average of 34 years for a victim to report abuse. This means the diocese must constantly offer the invitation for all victims to come forward.
For some perspective, since 2002, the Diocese has received nine credible reports of abuse. In all of these cases, the abuse happened 20 or more years prior to the report. The ministers reported were either deceased or already removed from ministry.

Transparency:
Most importantly, we want you to be assured of the Diocese’s commitment to transparency as we move forward. Since a group of lay journalists in Boston in 2002 exposed a pattern of abuse and cover-ups, the church has undergone a culture shift. In biblical language, this is metanoia which entails repentance and conversion, a change of heart, mind, and practice.
This horrible scandal prompted new social science research into the psychology of abusers and forced bishops to remove priests who were a danger to their flock.
What we now understand about abuse, it’s devastating impacts on individuals, families and whole communities is dramatically different than it was in the 20th century. Dioceses, parishes, and schools have a new paradigm for caring for those placed in their care, especially those most vulnerable to predators. Those same communities have resources for identifying abusers and protocols for removing them from ministry as quickly as possible.
That’s the good news.
The sad truth is there were predators in the Church. Piled on that is the fact that there were leaders in the church who were willing to protect their fellow clergymen rather than expose them or the Church to scandal. The Church must now face yet another reckoning.
The Diocese of Jackson has a team of people who share your anger, sorrow, concern and commitment to our Church and our children. The diocesan policy, including protocols for responding to allegations, is available on the website (link below) and in printed form by emailing Vickie Carollo at Vickie.carollo@jacksondiocese.org.
We are unflinching in our commitment to our promise to protect and pledge to heal as a serious part of our vocation. With the mind and heart of Jesus Christ we echo his words: “Let the children come to me for to such belong the Kingdom of Heaven.:”

Resources:
USCCB Charter:
https://usccb.org/issues-and-action/child-and-youth-protection/charter.cfm.
Office for the Protection of Children:
https://jacksondiocese.org/offices/child-protection/
Valerie McClellan: 601-326-3728

(Bishop Joseph Kopacz, Vicar General Father Kevin Slattery, Chancellor Mary Woodward, Safe Environment Coordinator Vickie Carollo and Director of Communications Maureen Smith collaborated on this statement. It is also posted to the diocesan website under Latest News.)

Clergy sex abuse not about gay priests, top psychologist says

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(Editor’s note: Bishop Kopacz and the Diocese of Jackson continue to acknowledge the suffering that victims of abuse and their communities continue to experience. We continue to try an better understand this terrible reality in hopes of never repeating this history and of bringing healing to our communities. Research such as this article are an effort to move this reform forward.)

By Gina Christian
PHILADELPHIA (CNS) – Misconceptions people may have about sexual abuse, sexual harassment and homosexuality as elements of the ongoing crisis in the church can hinder efforts to address it, according to a leading psychologist and expert on the crisis.
The complex nature of each of the elements can make it “hard for the average Catholic in the pew” to grasp key differences among them, delaying the formulation of “good, smart solutions,” Santa Clara University psychologist Dr. Thomas Plante told CatholicPhilly.com, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
A prolific author who also serves on Stanford University’s faculty, Plante has spent more than 30 years researching and treating psychological issues among Catholic clergy and laypersons.
Although many blame the abuse scandals on homosexuality among the clergy, same-sex attraction does not make priests more likely to sexually abuse children, Plante said.
“It’s perfectly understandable that people could be confused by this, because we know that 80 percent or more of the clerical sexual abuse victims are boys,” Plante said. “So people conclude that if you get rid of homosexuals in the clergy, then you’ve got the problem solved. And it doesn’t work that way.”
Most of the clerical sexual abuse perpetrators have been “situational generalists,” a term used throughout extensive John Jay College of Criminal Justice summary reports, the most recent in 2011, to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Generalists do not have a specific sexual preference for youth, but instead “turn to children as a sort of substitute” due to psychological and emotional difficulties in bonding with peers, Plante observed.
Such individuals – who often exhibit issues with substance abuse and impulse control – “can’t develop successful, negotiated, intimate relationships with adults,” said Plante, who recently served as vice chair of the USCCB’s National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Youth.
Since generalist offenders seek readily available victims, boys have historically – though by no means exclusively – been a target for many clerical abusers.
“Priests for the most part had access to boys, and trust with boys, much more so than girls,” said Plante, noting that this proximity has led to the erroneous correlation between homosexuality and clerical abuse.
Only a small number of abusive priests – and of sexual abusers in the general population – can be formally classified as pedophiles, according to the clinical definition used by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in its “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM),” the authoritative guide used by mental health professionals worldwide.
“The classic pedophile is attracted to young, prepubescent children,” said Plante. Prepubescence is typically defined as less than age 11.
Priestly celibacy can also be discounted as an underlying cause of the clerical scandals. In an article Plante wrote Aug. 23 for “Psychology Today,” he pointed out that “the vast majority of sex offenders are regular men, often married or partnered, with 80 percent or more victimizing their own family members.”
Overall, men are far more likely than women to become abusers, which helps to explain the comparatively lower rates of abuse perpetrated by female religious.
This striking gap between the genders – with “90 to 95 percent” of perpetrators being male – is generally due to basic differences in the psychological makeup of the sexes.
“Men tend to have what we call more ‘externalizing’ problems when it comes to psychiatric issues, while and women tend to have more ‘internalizing’ problems,” Plante said. “Women are more likely to exhibit depression and anxiety, whereas men tend to act out. They’re more prone to commit violence and sexual exploitation.”
Plante also stressed that sexual harassment, perpetrated by a number of clerical superiors against seminarians, should be distinguished from child sexual abuse.
“Both involve power and sexual violation, but they are different,” he said. “Sexually harassing people at the workplace is not a sexual psychiatric disorder. It could be a personality disorder; it could be a variety of things, but it’s not a sexual disorder. Every industry, every organization has a problem with this issue, where people abuse power and sexually harass their subordinates.”
Historically, child sexual abuse has occurred in the church and in human society “since the dawn of time,” said Plante, noting that St. Basil decried the problem in the fourth century.
In the United States, incidents of clerical sexual abuse rose during the 1960s and 1970s, paralleling a society-wide increase in other problematic behaviors such as substance abuse and sexual experimentation. By the early 1980s, the number of cases began to level off, due in part to increased research, mandated reporting, awareness and intervention strategies.
Because the traumatic nature of child sexual abuse tends to hinder victims from disclosing their attacks until years later, recent legal investigations do not always reflect current levels of clerical abuse, which have declined significantly, Plante observed.
“I think the average person on the street thinks this is rampant today in 2018, when it’s not,” he said, adding that annual data collections, independent audits, safe environment training and zero-tolerance policies have proven effective.
Although ongoing vigilance is required, Plante is hopeful about the Catholic Church’s ongoing prospects for protecting youth from clerical sexual abuse.
“I think we are using best practices now,” he said. “Sadly, we can’t change what happened 30, 40, 50 years ago, and we treat those victims with great compassion and respect. But thankfully for everybody, today’s church is very different from yesterday’s church.”

(Christian is senior content producer at CatholicPhilly.com, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. For more perspective on this research, read Plante’s article from Psycohology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/do-the-right-thing/201808/separating-facts-about-clergy-abuse-fiction)