Abuse crisis tops concerns raised at US Synod sessions

The USCCB recently summarized concerns voiced at synod listening sessions held across the US. Click here to read the entire document.

The following two sentences from this document captures the greatest of the “enduring wounds” diminishing faith in our church and its leaders:

“Chief among the enduring wounds that afflict the People of God in the United States is the still- unfolding effects of the sexual abuse crisis. “Trust in the hierarchy of the Church is weak and needs to be strengthened. The sex abuse scandals and the way the Church leadership handled the situation are seen as one of the strongest causes of a lack of trust and credibility on the part of the faithful.”

If the clergy sex abuse crisis is the greatest concern voiced at synod listening sessions across the US, why is the Diocese of Dallas (DOD) refusing to dedicate even one of its many, many synod listening sessions to this topic? DOD officials have told TCAT this topic will be one of several topics covered at a listening session next summer under the title “Church Governance and Efficiency”. Does this response build trust?

In a story published yesterday The New York Times reported on October 25, 2022 that the Diocese of Buffalo agreed to “sweeping government oversight of its operations”, to settle a law suit over a years long sex abuse cover-up by two Buffalo bishops. Investigations of other NY diocese continue.