Bishops approve revisions to Dallas Charter

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:43 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

Bishops approve revisions to Dallas Charter 2016-09-30T17:43:41-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The changes received overwhelming approval, but not everyone is completely on board, according to CNS:

Introducing the document to the bishops June 15, Bishop Cupich said the experiences of the past nine years have shown that “the charter works.”

“The charter has served the church well,” he said. “It is a helpful tool as we keep our pledge to protect children, promote healing and rebuild trust.”

The proposed revisions reflect changes in church law since the last revision in 2005, bringing it in line with recent Vatican instructions in response to the crisis of sexual abuse of minors by priests. These include mentioning child pornography as a crime against church law and defining the abuse of someone who “habitually lacks reason,” such as a person with mental retardation, as the equivalent of child abuse.

They also outline procedures to follow if a bishop is accused of having sexually abused a child and another bishop becomes aware of it.

Bishop Cupich said the recent Vatican documents related to sex abuse have “reinforced the commitment we bishops made in 2002.”

“They are also a source of encouragement that the decisions we made are making a positive impact on the universal church,” he added.

There was little debate on the proposed revisions before the vote. But not every bishop is on board with the charter’s provisions, as evidenced by the 28 amendments proposed by Bishop Fabian W. Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Neb., and rejected by the committee.

Most of the amendments suggested by Bishop Bruskewitz were aimed at weakening the charter’s wording because, the bishop said in a rationale included with the amendments, “The USCCB bureaucracy cannot bind bishops to obey the charter.”

“It is fundamentally dishonest to tell the faithful and the general public that the USCCB has any authority whatsoever to bind dioceses/eparchies to obey the charter,” Bishop Bruskewitz wrote. “The more commitments, the more grounds for lawsuits.”

Retired Archbishop Francis T. Hurley of Anchorage, Alaska, also raised questions June 16 about the “zero tolerance” policy outlined in the charter, which requires the permanent removal of any priest who admits or is found to have abused a child.

The archbishop said a zero-tolerance policy is contrary to the Catholic principles of reconciliation and forgiveness, treating every case “as if everyone is the same type of person, and they are not.”

He said Catholic priests and laypeople are experiencing “anger at the bishops at the way we have failed to handle this situation, and we need to start handling it.”

Bishop Cupich said the charter does not affect the spiritual value of reconciliation, but “the sacrament of reconciliation does not lift the penalty against crimes.”

Responding further at the news conference to Archbishop Hurley’s remarks, Bishop Cupich said the zero-tolerance policy is “not just effective, but necessary” for a variety of reasons.

“We bishops learned the hard way, by following the advice of the world of psychology,” that abusers cannot be allowed to return to ministry, he said. “It was bad advice, and children were put in harm’s way,” he added. “We just cannot take that chance.”

Read more, along with additional details, here.

Bishops

Sex abuse crisis

Previous Post

June 17, 2011

Ordination update: five new deacons for Orlando

Next Post

June 17, 2011 On "Criteria Catholicism" and abortion

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism Education education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution politics Politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV uncategorized Uncategorized VATICAN Vatican vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was cast into a pit by his brothers?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jacob Moses Daniel Joseph

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »