To this end, the Diocese of Madison established a Safe Environment Program which requires all who work with children and vulnerable adults and all employees to attend an educational program. I myself attended a Protecting God’s Children program, which was very helpful in understanding the problem of sexual abuse and how to protect children.
The diocesan website also includes safety tips for parents with excellent information on how to protect children from abuse, pornography, and other dangers.
As Bishop Morlino says in his letter published in this week’s paper, the grand jury report in Pennsylvania and news of other abuses has caused “scandal, justified anger, and a call for answers and action by many faithful Catholics.” The bishop admits the stories brought to light “in gruesome detail” are “sickening.” He apologizes for what abuse victims have suffered and urges them to “seek help to begin to heal.”
Because of its vigilance, the Diocese of Madison so far has had relatively few known incidents of sexual abuse by priests, but Bishop Morlino urges everyone in the diocese to pray and observe days of fasting and abstinence for the sins committed. “Some sins, like some demons, can only be driven out by prayer and fasting,” he says.
Let’s take the bishop’s words to heart by making a commitment to pray and fast for the victims of sexual abuse and to do what we can to prevent abuse from happening in the future. As the bishop says, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”