Demand a Synod Listening Session on the Clergy Abuse Crisis

Please take action by signing and emailing a letter to Bishop Burns requesting atleast one listening session dedicated entirely and publicly to the Clergy Sex Abuse Crisis. If you are using an apple devise click here and a window should open with a draft email message to the Bishop should appear. Please remember to add your name to the letter. If you are using a pc or non-apple device click this spot to find a draft message which you can copy and past into your email system. Email addresses for the Bishop and Chair of the Synod Committee are listed. Please remember to add your name to the letter at the bottom and to cc info@tcatransparency.org

After convening four (4) introductory catechetical sessions designed to explain the synodal process and solicit input from the faithful, the Dallas Diocese scheduled five (5) synod listening sessions in 2022 (in March, April, June, August and October). Another five (5) are scheduled in 2023. None of the 10 listening session topics* suggest that the Church’s handling of the clergy abuse crisis is to be included as a topic for discussion and submission to the synodal process.

After repeated requests over the past 6 months for a synod session dedicated to this critical topic, the best the Bishop and Synod Preparatory Commission are willing to do is implicitly include the clergy abuse crisis as one of many items that could be covered in the session slated for July of 2023 entitled “Diocesan Efficiency and Church Governance.” Even then, all indications are that only the narrow topic of Safe Environment protocols and protection of our young people are intended to be addressed. There is no acknowledgement that the issue is much broader and the need for transparency and accountability is much greater than simple “risk management” and baseline compliance with Safe Environment protocols.

We welcome other suggestions on ways to persuade Bishop Burns to communicate about and deal with this issue with the urgency it requires. You can reach us at info@tcatransparency.org