Archdiocesan policies, procedures on sexual abuse evolved over the decades

When Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh filed a motion Nov. 17 in the Circuit Court of Baltimore City requesting authorization to disclose a 456-page report on sexual abuse by clergy in the Archdiocese of Baltimore over the past 80 years, Archbishop William E. Lori and others said the historical conduct described in the report does not depict how the archdiocese operates today.

An archdiocesan statement released Nov. 17 said, “We are different – different than we were in the past – yet we must be transparent in acknowledging our past. To that end, the Archdiocese of Baltimore will not oppose the public release of the attorney general’s report.”

The statement noted that Frosh admitted this in an interview on WYPR radio’s “On the Record” with host Sheila Kast, responding to a question of whether he believes the archdiocesan cover-up is over by saying, “To the best of my knowledge, it is.

“The church changed its policy dramatically in 2002 and the law by that time had mandated reports of child abuse and the church has since then, as far as we can tell, followed the law, reported child sexual abuse when it was reported to them,” Frosh said in the interview.

What has changed in the way the archdiocese handles allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy, employees and volunteers?

“For decades, the archdiocese has fully complied with child protection efforts including: reporting to law enforcement of all allegations of child sexual abuse; zero tolerance resulting in permanent bans of any employee or volunteer credibly accused of abuse; offers of counseling assistance and pastoral outreach to anyone reporting harm by a minister of the church; extensive screening and training of all church ministers, employees and volunteers; continued accountability and oversight by our Independent Review Board and national compliance auditors; and open communication about newly received credible allegations of abuse, including through the list of credibly accused priests posted on the archdiocesan website and through various other archdiocesan communications channels, the media and church institutions,” the statement said.

According to a 2022 annual report from the archdiocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection and the Independent Review Board, the OCYP “offers survivors counseling and pastoral services with the therapist of their choice, and coordinates a financial mediation program for survivors upon their request for monetary compensation in lieu of counseling.”

Since the early 1980s, the archdiocese has paid more than $13.2 million to 301 victim-­survivors for counseling and direct payments. A retired, non-Catholic judge mediates a claims process, which began 15 years ago, to recommend mediated financial awards.

In 1993, the archdiocese was one of the first dioceses in the country to publish written child protection policies and establish an Independent Review Board.

After the U.S. bishops passed the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in June 2002, the archdiocese was one of the first in the country to publicly disclose the names of priests and religious brothers credibly accused of sexual abuse, even if they had not been criminally charged.

The Attorney General’s Motion to Disclose is before Circuit Judge Anthony Vittoria, who ordered Dec. 2 that all court proceedings, communications and filings regarding the release of the report remain confidential.

The archdiocese reported that it would pay the legal fees of some of those who were employees of the archdiocese and not accused of abuse to ensure that they are heard by the court, but, “This does not mean the archdiocese will in any way seek to keep the report from being made public, as some have suggested,” Archbishop Lori said in a video message Dec. 2.

Email Christopher Gunty at editor@CatholicReview.org

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