I. Bishop/Cardinal Measurable Accountability

We want an enforcement mechanism for seminary rectors who recommend and bishops who ordain questionable candidates for the priesthood. Those who carelessly put potentially dangerous men in our parishes must be held accountable and experience consequences for their irresponsible actions. In addition, we want accountability for those bishops and cardinals who ignore or do not take the necessary action against priests who have been accused of molestation and other crimes while serving as priests.

II. Full Disclosure of Clergy Sex Crimes and Cover-ups

We want full disclosure - to the public, to parishioners and to police - of every admitted, proven or credibly accused abusive Catholic cleric (bishop, priest, nun, brother, seminarian) by name (whether dead, alive, active or inactive, defrocked or not, diocesan or religious order) including:

• The names of and information about those clerics disclosed to John Jay College in 2002/2003 (data 1950-2002).
  
• The names of and information about additional clerics against whom "credible" allegations have been made since John Jay College reporting.
  
• The assignment histories, by location, of each of the clerics
  
• The current whereabouts of each of the clerics.
  
• A complete, user-friendly "registry" widely posted on the Internet and widely publicized, regarding every cleric (It should be posted on the US Catholic Conference of Bishop website, every diocesan web site, etc.)

 

III. Acknowledgement.

We want open and specific public acknowledgment of mistakes made so that they are not repeated and so that more lives are not lost to homicide and/or suicide.

IV. Tangible, Pastoral Outreach To Others Who Are Still Wounded

We want every bishop to reach out to families in every parish/school/institution where a known, admitted or credibly accused clergy sex offender worked, so the victims can get help, begin recovery, and report crimes to police for investigation. At a minimum, this means repeatedly publishing notices in every diocese newspaper, secular newspaper and parish bulletin, the names of abusive clerics who worked there and impassioned pleas for anyone who experienced, witnessed or suspected these crimes to contact law enforcement for prosecution and independent mental health agencies for help.

V. Assistance With Reforming Laws That Endanger Children and Protect Abusers

We want US Catholic bishops and their staffs to help educate and lobby lawmakers for more and better laws that protect children and vulnerable adults, instead of actively fighting against these laws. We want church officials to support laws that help prevent future abuse and help bring healing and justice to those already harmed (both by abusive clerics and complicit bishops), including.

• Support laws that eliminate the criminal statutes of limitations so that dangerous serial child molesters can be locked up and children can be protected.
  
• Support laws that eliminate civil statutes of limitations in child sex abuse cases, so that parents can at least be warned about dangerous serial child molesters who aren't or can't be locked up, and so that victims achieve some small measure of justice and healing.