The Post about the Archdiocese Sex-Abuse Policy April 16th

The Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee took what appears to be an extraordinary step against pedophiles last week.

The new policy covers more than 500 members of the clergy and subjects them to searches, travel restrictions, and monitoring if a church official is known or suspected to have engaged in 'inappropriate activity".

Included among these restrictions:

• Suspect clergy are subject to unscheduled home searches 24/7, including areas like closets and desks not in plain view.
• They are required to get approval for travel, and must be accompanied by a person approved by the program managers
• They may be forced to move to a residence chosen by the archbishop
• They are forbidden to own a computer and restricted in the use of one. All computers are subject to search.
• They are required to keep a mileage log that includes their destination, a list which will be checked against the odometer regularly
• The names of offenders will continue to be made public

There are more restrictions, and they don't pertain solely to suspected pedophiles. Clergy suspected of drug or alcohol abuse, gambling, and those involved in consensual relationships after taking a vow of celibacy are also included..

But it doesn't take a biblical scholar to identify the true target.

For too many people it's a case of too little, too late. Years of silence on the subject not only destroyed the lives of survivors, it's tarnished the reputation of the Church more than memories of the Crusades or the Inquisition ever could.

Milwaukee certainly wasn't immune to the problem. A handful of local priests, including one from a nearby parish, were identified as predators - some of long standing.

In the late '80's there was a beloved student counselor at my high school, one I ran into several times.

A role model to many as one of the few African-American priests in the diocese, he was adored for adopting several young boys from third world countries.

Years later it was revealed he was a serial abuser, one with even less shame than others of his ilk: he once stood accused of molesting a boy who turned to him for guidance while his mother lay dying. ****

Even the previous Archbishop was engaged in scandal, albeit of a different nature.

In 2002 it was revealed that the Archdiocese had paid nearly a half a million dollars to a man who accused former Archbishop Rembert Weakland of assaulting him while a graduate student. Judging by contemporary letters the affair was in all likelihood consensual, but it shook the faithful of this area to their core.

Will the new policy make sure these errors aren't repeated? Advocacy groups have reacted with surprise and approval, although one group hinted it went too far in treating all clergy as if they were guilty.

"The Patriot Act of the Milwaukee Archdiocese," said Terry Ryan, founder of Voice of the Faithful, a group formed because of the abuse scandal.

Perhaps it does unfairly punish the innocent by painting pedophiles and alcoholics with the same brush, but I would argue that with a few tweaks it's worth it. Certainly it can't be the biggest sacrifice involved in devoting oneself to the Church.

And if it helps weed out those who hurt the flock and help restore faith in the Church, then it deserves their support.

Personally, I would go one step farther. Excommunicate anyone wearing a collar who is found guilty of harming a child, Christian forgiveness be damned.

After all, is there any greater corruption of Jesus' name than to use it to hurt a child?

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**** Although he was found 'not guilty' by a trial jury, the Milwaukee Archdiocese reviewed claims against Fr. Marv Knighton and found that there was a "preponderance of evidence" that Knighton committed sexual abuse. Normally, I would bow to the jury's decision and not name the accused, but because of the Archdiocese's ruling I have chosen to go ahead with the information. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/186956_priestlitany19.html

Read the complete documents at: www.jsonline.com/links/priests