Dubuque

Amid the dark stories, reason for optimism
Accounts of betrayal are accompanied by reports on church's proactive response
by TELEGRAPH HERALD EDITORIAL

The Telegraph Herald today begins a week-long series, "Sins and Silence: Betrayal and Response."

It concerns past incidents of sexual abuse by priests in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque, last
month's $5 million settlement with victims, the impact on current priests and laypeople and the church's
recent efforts to prevent future incidents.

Some readers complained, "Why dredge up all this up when it happened so long ago? Nearly all these
priests are dead."

Yes, most of those priests are gone. However, many of their victims are very much alive. And thousands of
people - from Archbishop Jerome Hanus down to the parishioner in the pew - today are impacted by what
happened as many as 50 years ago.

If, indeed, all this series did was recount heinous incidents of decades ago, it would be of limited benefit.
However, in telling the stories of just some of the victims, readers should gain important insight into the
patterns of these incidents, the church hierarchy's inappropriate response and the emotional scars victims
carry with them every day.

It is our hope that readers will have a better understanding of why the pain is so deep for so many victims.
A crime committed against a child is terrible; when the perpetrator is someone trusted and revered, the
pain is magnified.

However, this series does not only look back. It also details the recent past and present, when church
officials finally acknowledged the crisis and took proactive steps to identify past offenders and weed out any
still in their midst. Archbishop Hanus and his administration deserve credit for his redress of the aggrieved,
including the recent settlement of lawsuits, a heartfelt public apology and other actions to make amends.

This series also looks ahead, discussing what seminaries and church officials are doing today to screen
candidates for future roles as priests.

Through this series, readers will identify certain patterns or themes:
* The word "naive" turns up in several victims' statements. They were so young and unaware, some did not
realize until later - much later, in some cases - that what they experienced was abusive and criminal.
* Children who, despite threats from their abusers, informed their parents, were not believed and told never
to talk of such things.
* Priests who were the subject of complaints that reached church officials were often simply moved - with or
without treatment - to other communities, where they abused again.
* Things have changed. While no one will ever promise that abuse will never occur again, church officials
now promise to deal with complaints appropriately and promptly.

Several of these stories will be difficult to read. They were difficult to write; for lead reporter Mary
Nevans-Pederson, the interview sessions themselves were gripping and emotional.

To now tell what happened so many years ago probably won't do much to heal those victims' wounds. It is
far too little, and it is much too late.

But bringing these dark secrets into the open should encourage other victims to come forward and to
empower all who care about the Church - ordained and laypeople alike - to be more aware, more vigilant,
more understanding and more committed to never allowing these tragedies to happen again.

To truly move forward, it is important to acknowledge the past - no matter how dark. Archbishop Hanus has
done that, and the stage is set for a brighter future.

Editorials reflect the consensus of the Telegraph Herald Editorial Board: Jim Normandin (Publisher), Brian
Cooper, Ken Brown, Monty Gilles, Amy Gilligan and Sharon Welborn.
Copyright 2006 Telegraph Herald

Trusted priests betrayed innocents
by MARY NEVANS-PEDERSON

It wasn't supposed to happen here.

When Roman Catholic priests did bad things to children, it occurred someplace else. Like Boston. Or Los
Angeles. Or Chicago. It couldn't happen in the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

But it did.

Priests did prey on children and teenagers, and robbed them of their innocence. Bishops, sometimes with
the best of intentions, enabled the criminals by transferring them to other churches and schools, where
unsuspecting Catholics welcomed the priests into their parish and their homes.

The worst predators were sent away to be treated, but afterward they often went to new assignments in
new parishes, where they resumed the abuse of children. Eventually, some were removed from the
priesthood.

On the occasions when they spoke up, victimized children were seldom believed. If their stories weren't
disregarded by their devout parents and loyal teachers, the threat of physical harm or excommunication
brought about silence.

Rumors died quickly, whispered gossip was written off and few dared to believe that anything so heinous
could be happening.

If, as adults, victims did speak out, settlements were crafted in secret. Secrecy was a stipulation.

Much has changed since the dark days of the 1950s and '60s, when most of the reported abuse took place.
Today, church officials have far fewer priests to watch over. Seminaries are vetting and training their
students much differently. Stringent archdiocesan policies are in place - for clergy and laity - regarding the
sexual abuse of minors. Settlements are disclosed and victims are allowed to talk publicly about their
ordeals.

Today through next Sunday, the Telegraph Herald will look at how sexually predatory priests managed to
abuse the children of the Archdiocese of Dubuque for decades, how the archdiocese responded then and
what it is doing now to protect its innocents.

We will talk to victims and examine the abusers. We will see how the scandal has affected Catholics and
clergy alike. We will look at the role and involvement of victim support groups, and we will address the
issue of forgiveness.

Today: "A culture of Catholicity." - The Archdiocese of Dubuque encompasses a large geographic area
where nearly one in four people is Catholic. The "culture of Catholicity" throughout the archdiocese will be
examined, as will what role that culture played in clergy sexual abuse.

Monday: "Victims Tell Their Stories." - Some of the men and women who were sexually abused by priests
describe their experiences, how their church handled it and how they are coping.

Tuesday: "Unholy Fathers." - Who were these clerics who used children to satisfy their sexual urges? When
it came to predatory priests, the Rev. William Schwartz, the Rev. Robert Reiss and the Rev. William Goltz
were infamous.

Wednesday: "Raising the bar." - Church officials now rely on a series of screenings to weed out potentially
abusive priests. Prospective priests face a battery of tests, psychological analyses and questions about their
sexual history just to gain admittance to the seminary.

Thursday: "Are the Children Protected?" - Today, the Archdiocese of Dubuque is a much different and - its
leaders hope - a much safer place for children. What policies have been put into place to protect children?
If abuse does occur, how will it be addressed? The current archbishop took swift action against two abusive
priests in the past decade. Also, a look at the civil settlement process - then and now.

Friday: "The effect on the 'good and holy." - How has the scandal affected the vast majority of priests who
are "good and holy?" Catholic laity has also been shocked and saddened by the scandal. Have they given
up on their church, or are they recommitted to healing it?

Saturday: "The support groups." - What groups have emerged to comfort and advocate for victims and their
families?

Sunday: "Apology and forgiveness." - What inspired Dubuque Archbishop Jerome Hanus to write his recent,
heartfelt public apology? Is there room for forgiveness in any of this?
Copyright 2006 Telegraph Herald

Culture of Catholicity in the area made discussion of incidents taboo
by MARY NEVANS-PEDERSON

The first Roman Catholic priests came to Dubuque in the early 1830s, sent into the untamed lands along the
west side of the Mississippi River by Bishop Joseph Rosati of St. Louis.
The Diocese of Dubuque was created in 1837, including what are now the states of Iowa and Minnesota and
parts of North and South Dakota. The diocese was subdivided over the years, and the current archdiocesan
boundaries were established in 1902.

During the 1800s, Catholics from across Europe - especially from Germany, Ireland and Luxembourg -
flocked to the fertile fields and forests of northeast Iowa. They soon erected churches and filled them every
Sunday.

Parishes, schools, motherhouses and seminaries flourished in the archdiocese, and local Catholics
considered their priests and bishops revered and honored spiritual leaders.

A culture of Catholicity pervaded the city of Dubuque, sometimes nicknamed "Little Rome" for the number
of religious edifices built on its blufftops. Bathtub grottos dotted neighborhoods. St. Joseph statues helped
sell houses. Friday fish fries were social highlights.

"Dubuque was a very Catholic city where the church had a lot
of power and influence. It is deeply embedded in the culture,"
said the Rev. Thomas Doyle, OP, who studied at a Dominican
school of theology in Dubuque for six years and was ordained
a priest by Archbishop James Byrne in 1970.

Doyle is a canon lawyer who has been a longtime advocate for
victims of clerical sexual abuse. His views ignite heated debate
within the Catholic Church and he said he has lost several
positions because of his outspoken opinions. He is best known
for warning United States bishops in 1985 about the number of
predatory priests within their parishes.

Doyle has been an expert witness in more than 500 cases
of clerical sexual abuse and has testified before several
grand juries. His affidavits were part of the settlements
between victims of clergy abuse and the church, including
the Davenport (Iowa) diocese and Dubuque archdiocese.

"In this highly Catholic environment, there is a mystique
surrounding priests. They get special considerations and
are shown deference," said Doyle, 61. "Catholic kids are
in awe of, are petrified of priests."

It is an ideal situation for a pedophile priest.

While hundreds of priests were pious and honest men,
some were not. Of the 683 priests who have served the
archdiocese since 1950, 47 (7 percent) have been accused
of sexual abuse - ranging from inappropriate touching to rape.

Most victims are males, but some women have been molested
by archdiocesan priests.

Because of what he calls "religious duress," Doyle said children
are so fearful that they are incapable of publicly disclosing their
abuse. Their parents seldom believe them, and the wider
Catholic community often supports the perpetrator instead of the children.

The abuse was seldom reported to civil authorities, if it was reported at all. If archdiocesan
officials found out that a priest had abused a child, they kept it quiet to avoid scandal and to
protect the young victims. Personnel records are spotty for some years. Bishops admonished
the abusers and often sent them to out-of-state treatment centers paid for by the archdiocese.

Mental health experts usually assured the archbishops that the priests had been "cured" of their
psychosexual dysfunction, so the prelates gave the priests new parish assignments.

Some unlucky parishes had multiple predatory priests on their rosters.

Over a 20-year period in tiny Garber, St. Michael Parish was the assignment of the Revs. Albert Carman,
John Peters and Robert Reiss - each of whom abused children.

Sacred Heart Parish in Oelwein was served by the Revs. William Goltz, Thomas Knox and Robert Swift in a
13-year span.

"Fifty years ago, there was more confidence in psychiatry that these issues could be cured. If it happened
today, the archbishop would likely not reassign a priest," said Monsignor James Barta, vicar general for the
archdiocese.

Archbishop James Byrne moved a number of accused priests from parish to parish during his tenure
(1962-83). Barta described Byrne's leadership method as "a much more spiritual way."

"He would talk to the priest and pray about it," Barta said.

Doyle said that because of his piety, Byrne was possibly not capable of believing that priests in his diocese
were abusing children.

Many attitudes have changed over time, and so have the points of view of archdiocesan leaders. For one
thing, if someone says he or she was abused by a priest, the claim is considered legitimate from the start.
"We listen to all stories assuming they are true," said Joyce Connors, director of the Office for the Protection
of Children and Young People, whose background is in psychology and counseling.

In addition, the archdiocese will get civil authorities involved from the beginning,
including reporting the accusation to the police. If it is a current case of a minor being
sexually abused, "it will be out of our hands for the most part," said Connors, because
law enforcement will take over the investigation
and prosecute if charges are brought.

The church also now recognizes how damaging childhood sexual abuse can be.

"There is anger, grief and a sense of loss for what might have been if the abuse had
not happened," Connors said. "In all the high emotions, we haven't seen any that are inappropriate."
Copyright 2006 Telegraph Herald

Mar 14, 2006
Readers react to series on abuse, response
Full range of opinions on 'Sins and Silence'
by BRIAN COOPER

The TH has received lots of feedback to its just-concluded series,
"Sins and Silence: Betrayal and Response: Sexual Abuse by the
Clergy."

In this space two weeks ago, announcing our plans, I wrote, "I
fully anticipate that some readers will be unhappy that we will
present the series."

Indeed, I fielded complaints before the first word appeared.

In some cases, "unhappy" was an understatement. During and
after the series, we logged a few dozen angry phone calls,
postcards and letters to the editor.

Some folks signed their letters; others did not. So too with the
phone calls: Some gave their names and others - especially those
with profanity-laced tirades - did not.

(Thanks to my colleagues for fielding many of those calls while I
was out of town - it was not, as a caller charged, to try to evade
complaints.)

Before the series reached its halfway point, a New York-based
organization called the Catholic League for Religious and Civil
Rights accused us of anti-Catholic bigotry.

The organization referred to "alleged victims" and "alleged
perpetrators." Bill Donohue, Catholic League president, said the
bigots at the TH should instead be looking at the conspiracy of
sexual abuse in "local public school districts."

An area priest, who demanded that I neither publish nor reply to
his letter, wrote, "I wonder if the staff of your newspaper has any
conscience." He described the articles as "vicious."

This might surprise the objectors, but there are many people who
see it otherwise.

Another priest, who also did not comment for publication, in an
e-mail to our project's lead reporter, Mary Nevans-Pederson,
said of the articles: "They were all, fair, balanced, well-written
and good."

We have received positive comments from lay people as well.
My intent today is not to rehash or debate the series. As I wrote
two weeks ago, "Our hope is that most readers will see the
series as a serious and comprehensive examination of not only
the problem but also efforts toward healing and resolution."

I believe we delivered that.

In any case, we have received several letters to the editor about
the series - pro and con. Over the next week or more, we will
publish many of them - pro and con.

I don't know if any of these letters will change any minds, but
authors will have their say.

Send letters via e-mail
Speaking of letters: We accept them through several means -
regular mail, fax and e-mail.

All things being equal, however, e-mail is our preferred method
of receipt. It might be your preferred method of delivery.

It takes less time for us to process an e-mailed letter. We don't
have to find staff time to retype it into our computer system.
Removing the typing step means that an e-mailed letter usually
gets into the publication queue sooner.

Letters may be e-mailed to THletters@wcinet.com.
Cooper posts additional comments and observations at
newsconference.blogspot.com.
Copyright 2006 Telegraph Herald

Mar 18, 2006
Letters to the Editors
TH series serves useful purpose
by ROGER MAIERS
1495 Auburn St.

Although some of my fellow Catholics may disagree, I
appreciated the TH's series on cleric abuse in the Dubuque
Archdiocese. I felt it was informative and fairly presented.
The series brought together many of the informational bits and
pieces that have been slowly surfacing over the past several
years. I learned something new almost every day, particularly
regarding the close scrutiny now being given to seminarians.
Even though this may exacerbate our priest shortage, it's the
necessary thing to do.

There was certainly some discomfort in reading about these past
abuses, but that pales in comparison to the pain and damage
suffered by the victims. I can now better understand why there is
still bitterness over how their complaints were handled.

Monetary payments and public apologies cannot completely right
the wrong, but it at least acknowledges guilt on the church's part
and validates the victims' claims, which were often not believed or
ignored. There has to be some satisfaction in that.

It seems the Archdiocese of Dubuque is taking strong pro-active
steps to assure this sort of thing does not happen again. I can
only hope that every diocese in this country is doing the same.
Copyright 2006 Telegraph Herald

Mar 18, 2006
Letters to the Editor
Tell the story - but not so much
by POLLY SPLINTER
2455 Gordon Drive

In response to the TH series on the priest abuse scandal: These
stories were difficult and heartbreaking. There is no doubt this
story needed to come out and to be told. However, I think eight
days was, at the least, overkill.

When you did this story, did you ever consider all the victims and
their families? They, like all who did belong or do belong to the
Catholic Church, need time to heal. These horrible crimes done
by some sick men and women have been in the media for years.

There are a lot of good and dedicated priests who are on call 24/7.
Consider hospital chaplains, who console the sick, the dying and
their families. Priests who visit the sick, the homebound, the
nursing homes and tend to the needs of their parishes - not to
mention all the numerous meetings. Priests not only have the
responsibility of running a parish; they also work in the
chancery office, are chaplains in the military and teach. Some
have three and four parishes. Retired priests who should be
enjoying retirement after years of parish work now help out in
the parishes. Should their stories not be told?

I am grateful to these dedicated men and am proud to call them
Father.

Will you do an eight-part series on these good and dedicated
priests who also have been hurt by this scandal? I sure won't hold
my breath waiting.
Copyright 2006 Telegraph Herald