Voice of the Faithful of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut
St. Paul the Apostle Church, New York, N.Y.

Remarks by the Hon. Anne Burke
Interim Chair
National Review Board
For the Protection of Children and Young People
May 22, 2004

Good afternoon. Many thanks for that kind introduction. I am grateful for both the invitation from Ed and Anne Wilson on behalf of Voice of the Faithful, and the warm welcome extended to me this afternoon. I am honored to share the program with some pretty distinguished New Yorkers, the gracious Father Joe O’Hare and my good friend and fellow National Review Board Member Pam Hayes.

I think I am on my way to becoming a kind of VOTF veteran, as this is my fifth appearance in recent weeks with VOTF. I spoke twice close to home in Winnetka, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, then Bloomington, Illinois, south of Chicago in the Diocese of Peoria, and last week in Morris Plains, New Jersey, in the Diocese of Patterson. That’s a lot of shoe leather for me.

All I can say is that I have been enthused by the faith and love so easily identified in the spirit of VOTF gatherings. And whatever else you remember about anything I say this afternoon, I hope you remember this—the Voice of the Faithful has never been more needed in the Catholic Church in our nation, and the faith and spirit that you share will renew the face of the Church in our land.

I am also grateful to be here at St. Paul’s, a piece of Catholic geography uniquely American and imbued with the spirit and mission of the Paulist Fathers. The legacy of their founder, Father Isaac Hecker, is the perfect environment for the mission of Voice of the Faithful and any lay Catholic hungry for reason and intelligence in the direction of the Catholic Church in our nation. Almost 160 years ago, in the tragic aftermath of our nation’s suffering and heartache of the Civil War, Father Hecker and his companions reached out to the wounds and heartache of America. Their spirit transformed the brokenness that lay about them. Their mission to America was itself a high moment for healing and reconciliation. Here in this sacred place dear to them, each one of us can be refreshed by their love for our Church and our love for our nation.

Father Hecker, as I am sure you know, was a convert to Catholicism. Faith was a long journey for him, with many twists and turns along the road, not just a text with all the right answers. The impact he sought to make among the best and brightest of his generation of Americans was something that he had first experienced in his own life. “The Catholic Church is my star,” he wrote, “which will lead me to my life, my destiny, my purpose.” What more could any of us ask?

I believe that the Catholic Church can be a star for us all. If I did not I could not stand here today and look you in the eye. If I did not believe that, I could not have endured the past two years as a member of the National Review Board for Child and Youth Protection of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. If I did not believe that the Catholic Church was “my star,” I am quite certain I would not have consented to try to get to the bottom of the most hurtful and disheartening crisis in the history of American Catholicism. You know I am not exaggerating.

What else can we say about the abuse of minors by members of the Catholic clergy? Across the country, Catholics in the pews have had to endure a long and bitter realization of the dark side of the human spirit. All of us have had to grow up a lot in the past few years. We have experienced a sober maturation. There is no mistaking we live in serious times, mortal moments. Only healing and renewal of depth and intelligence can facilitate our ability to move beyond the tragedy of the past.

Conor Cruise O’Brien, the erudite Irish statesman, said some years ago—“Irishness is not primarily a question of birth or blood or language; it is the condition of being involved in the Irish situation, and usually of being mauled by it.”

The distinguished Dr. O’Brien very well could have been reflecting on the conditions of being a Catholic in our nation in 2004. Whatever else it is, it isn’t easy! We’ve been mauled.

This is a reality that is sinking in more and more with Catholics around the country. We are not only united by a shared faith and doctrinal loyalty, we are bound to one another by a shared skepticism, given the repeated failures within our leadership to make their words match their actions. Catholics are filled with questions, often not relishing the answers that come. Around the country, Catholic believers cradle deep wounds and betrayals that cannot be erased by episcopal edict or even episcopal good will.

I find myself thrown back more and more on the words that fall from the lips of the Risen Jesus in the Gospels. Only his words of promise have the veracity to lift our hearts. I reach out for those images of the early Church that the readings during the Easter season portray. They are filled with close-up images of the disciples attempting to fulfill the mandate of the Risen Lord. They are always reminding themselves of his abiding presence among them as each confronts the messy practicalities of being both human and a believer, a person of faith. There, somewhere in the midst of all the crashing of the metaphysical into the physical, we actually see the character of the Church beginning to evolve. It always seems to be both problematic and encouraging. Of course, last Sunday, I relished all the details of the need for the first-ever gathering of leaders in Jerusalem to hammer out conflicts and to speak of difficult things. If nothing else, two years as a member of the National Review Board has refined my scriptural sensitivities in a way that the Illinois Appellate Court cannot. Somehow, the reading tells us, in the midst of all the pain and conflict, despite the polarization, conflicting ideologies, turf issues and misunderstandings of seemingly good intentions, the internal cohesion among the believers grows. A unique healing takes place. We encounter people dedicating their lives to the Lord’s mission, opening their hearts to truths larger than themselves. It becomes the catalyst for authentic renewal because it is rooted in a shared experience of the Risen Lord. It confounds personal political strategies and hidden agendas. It turns around self-serving solutions. It debunks power plays and shines bright light on dark deeds. Those who follow the Lord are revived by the discovery of new virtues in themselves and others. Such refreshment galvanizes the community of believers and begets the sustaining promise of hope.

I have thought long and hard on such a promise of hope over my term of service on the National Review Board. I found myself often stretching to touch that promise during our investigation into the nature and scope of the crisis unleashed by the sexual abuse of minors by members of the Catholic clergy. Such reflection, I found, was necessary to offset the darkness and sadness that the facts, ultimately, came to reveal – more than 10,000 reported cases of abuse between 1950 and 2002; with 4% of the clergy accused; and more than $500 million paid out in settlements; not to mention the human suffering of the victims of abuse and the hurting people in parishes who endured the removal of beloved priests. It is no secret that some dioceses face financial ruin as a result of this crisis. I am told than more than one is facing the reality of collapse and loss of properties, even the cathedrals.

There is no denying the magnitude of the crisis that has loomed into the life and spirit of the Church. All we could do was to confront it head on, though it is easy to let the sadness overwhelm.

But I have also found that in the pursuit of the truth, there is good news to be found. To begin with, no matter what else happens, we have made the environment safer for children. Children are more protected, parents are more savvy and the community of believers are just more aware than ever. The very fact that two years ago in Dallas, the bishops of the United States agreed to address the issue of clergy sexual abuse in an upfront and open manner is, itself, a reason for hope. For out of that decision, a process was brought into being that has accomplished great things in just two years.

First, a national office has been established in Washington at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops – the Office of Child and Youth Protection – to specifically monitor through audits the institutional effectiveness of each diocese in the nation in regard to the safety of minors. This has been an important step in developing the right response to a terrible issue.

Under the direction of Dr. Kathleen McChesney, formerly number three in the leadership of the FBI, the office, as mandated under Article 8 of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Youth, is responsible for “(1) assisting individual dioceses/eparchies in the implementation of ‘safe environment’ programs, (2) assisting provinces and regions in the development of appropriate mechanisms to audit adherence to policies, and (3) producing an annual public report on the progress made in implementing the standards of this Charter. This public report shall include the names of those dioceses/eparchies which, in the judgment of this Office, are not in compliance with the provisions and expectations of this Charter.”

I chose to quote directly from the Charter because I wanted to dispel any confusion you might have over what the document states with precision as to the expectations of the Office of Child and Youth Protection. There it is. There have been times in the past week when statements coming from the USCCB appeared to contradict the clarity of this document. Could the expectations be made any more clearly?

Since the February publication of the results of our first-ever national study on the nature and scope of the abuse crisis, I believe that the Catholic Church has taken an enormous deep, communal exhale. In possession of the numbers and facts, we can now speak with more clarity about the proportions of the crisis and the extent of the damage. No one, before the gathering of this data, no cardinal, no archbishop, no bishop, no victim, no member of our board or Catholic anywhere could accurately speak of the numbers and instances of abuse, or the vast monetary expenditure the crisis has cost the Church. For the first time, we can at least speak of the true picture. It transcended the sacred turf of individual dioceses. This is very important.

In addition, I believe that the gathering of the data on a national scale altered the picture significantly. In an intelligent and methodical manner the facts were collected, resulting in a sobering, but wise, dissemination of the basic realities about this painful issue. It was a feeling somewhere between a biopsy and an autopsy.

What I believe is significant for all of us today, in terms of renewal and healing, is to be found in “why” the work of the lay Review Board has been important – because beyond everything else it has been a reaffirmation of what is essential in our faith.

Everything we have done, our fulfilling the mandate of the Charter for Child and Youth Protection, our implementation of the statistical analysis, our own investigations of the abuse issue across the country, the Review Board’s publication of its own findings as to the nature and scope of the crisis, our commitment to make the environment safer for children – all this has been accomplished within the framework of our faith. We affirm the hierarchical character of leadership in our Church; the unique role of the priests in the sacramental life of the Church; the unique gift of the charism of celibacy to the Church. We affirm that Catholic doctrine did not bring about this crisis, but rather the failure to live out the doctrine did. Our call for reform within the Church is for authentic, Catholic reform.

Most importantly, I believe that we were demonstrably honest in assessing the two most essential elements of the abuse crisis – the misconduct of the clergy and the mis-governance of some of the bishops.

At the same time, we encourage a strengthening of the evangelical and pastoral components of episcopal leadership, urging that bishops lead with truthfulness, sensitivity to those who are the victims of abuse and with responsibility to the laws of civil jurisdictions.

There is no denying the mess that confronted all of us in the Catholic Church in our nation just two years ago. Some critics believed that there was very little that could be done to revitalize the trust and confidence of Catholics in the pews.

Following two years of exhaustive work, I believe the National Review Board has helped frame the crisis within the larger life of the Church. While refusing to run from the horrors of the crisis, we are also encouraging in our need to move beyond it. If what has been discovered about the crisis, detailed in our reports, can serve as the basis for an on-going renewal in attitudes and policies, then we will be able to grow beyond the tragedies of the past. If after all that has been accomplished, no substantive changes really occur, then it will be strictly “business as usual,” and the crisis will be unrelenting.

Of course, I know you are all aware of the drama surrounding the next step in the process of ensuring the safety of children--the continuing audits of dioceses around the country to measure compliance surrounding the safe environment for young people. As I quoted earlier from the Charter, this is an essential priority of Dr. McChesney's office.

Sadly, as you may be aware, my colleagues and I were shocked to discover in late March that, following a presentation by several of us from the NRB before the Administrative Committee of the USCCB, we learned well after the fact that the bishops of that committee voted to postpone any implementation of an audit for 2004. We also learned that letters from several provinces around the country had already been circulated by some of the cardinals and bishops. It was their intention to put off any discussion of future audits until their November meeting. This, in effect, would kill any chance of a second round of audits within the charter year of 2004.

Following a very strongly worded response from our National Review Board, that detailed the consequences of such a unilateral move, it was agreed that a special joint meeting would be called that would include our Board and the Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse, chaired by Archbishop Harry Flynn of Minneapolis – a man of honor and character.

That meeting, as you may have read, took place in Chicago last week. And I am happy to report that both the Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee and our Board were able to resolve the issue. It was agreed that the issue of future audits and a future five-year study, also jeopardized by the campaign to sandbag the audits, would be put on the agenda for the bishops’ June meeting in Denver. The Ad Hoc Committee will present a revived plan for the audit process to the full body of bishops.

I came away from that joint meeting with renewed confidence. It marked the first time that the two groups met. There was significant resolve expressed for future meetings.

Now, it is wait and see. If the fully body of bishops vote in favor of the proposal then it will move ahead quickly. Dr. McChesney has her audit teams (Gavin and Associates, former agents of the FBI) ready to conduct the second round of what we believe will be an important component in continuing to make the environment safer for children.

Not all bishops have been critical of the audit process. Cardinal Mahoney of Los Angeles is one who sees the significant value of having the audits move ahead. He has been tremendously supportive. He recently told John Allen of the NCR, “I had to remind some of my brothers that we are the ones who asked for this…We voted it in,” he rightly acknowledged, referring to the Charter. The Cardinal has been very up-front, insisting, while others complained, that he be scheduled for his next audit as soon as possible. He is refreshing, often demonstrating little patience for the foot dragging of others.

I know the issue of the audits has been a drama unfolding in the press, especially with the publication of correspondence among the bishops with each other and also with our board. But I am really willing to be understanding, in light of our recent meeting, that wiser heads will prevail and the right thing will be done.

Ultimately, this is about making the environment safer for children, so that there will be no more victims! From this there can be no pulling back. I hope this is a priority for you too. For you will need to be vigilant also. Your faith and your scrutiny of what is unfolding is vital. Your willingness to be on guard from the Atlantic to the Pacific will have a powerful effect on what transpires. Stay familiar with the issues. Keep close to the progress that is made. I really believe this is an important moment in the life of the laity in the Church.

I believe that in a dark moment in the life of the Church, lay American Catholics rose to the occasion to tackle a complex and shameful issue. We did so with discretion, appropriate criticism and concrete suggestions for reform. It is our prayer that such reform will effectively end the breakdown of faith that such criminal abuse reflects.

As lay Catholics, each of you has the mandate of your own baptism to encourage you to fuller participation in the life of the Church. That means not only your checkbook, but your influence, your virtue, your gifts, your intelligence, your character and your hope. This is what makes the scandals and betrayals of the past redeemable. This is what makes the failures of leadership survivable. This is what makes the arrogance demonstrated in the life of the Church able to be healed. Our “lamp,” as the scripture so poetically notes, “is the Lamb.” We are upheld by the Risen Lord – after all it is his Church. So when the debates about ownership of the Church get you down; when the crimes of the past go unpunished; when the wisdom of the present goes unheeded; when the promise of peace appears delayed – search through the wreckage for those who survive and open your arms to one another.

We have come a long way from debating the use of English in the Mass, or the appropriateness of guitars in church—can you remember when those were big issues? Now, in the time we have been given, we are challenged to resolve darker issues and darker hearts. Somewhere in it all abides the Advocate, the very breath of God’s Spirit. It is the Spirit who stirs up within us the resources we need to sustain one another. Remember, when things are at their worst, we are at our best.

As many of you know three of my colleagues, Bob Bennett, Bill Burleigh, Leon Panetta and I will be leaving the National Review Board at the end of June. And despite what the press has said, we leave of our own accord, through self-imposed term limits. And I can promise you this – I might be gone from the Board, but I will not be silent. I was an advocate for children long before I joined the Board. With you, I intend to stay vigilant, supportive and challenging--essential ingredients for any Catholic.

Many years ago, in an era when hope and promise seemed unbreakable, John Fitzgerald Kennedy reminded us all of the ultimate pragmatic strategy to resolve the conflicts before us. "If you want peace," he thundered, "work for justice." It was challenging advice. Let it be the mantra of your own personal search for more expansive healing. Do the things of justice, and peace will not be far behind.

Thanks for your attention.

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