Faced as we are with the ongoing specter of sin and even crime on the part of some priests, religious, and bishops of the Church, Bishop Robert Morlino has given clear direction that in the Diocese of Madison we will do all we can to continue to strengthen our efforts in the protection of children and vulnerable persons, to expand our work in oversight and transparency, and to increase our focus on rooting out sin at every level.
To that end, the following additional actions have already gotten underway in the past several months, with a great deal still to come:
• Prayer, sacrifice, reparation — Prayer alone cannot suffice where there is clear need for concrete and decisive action. However, the grace of God is essential in achieving any good and our prayers do have an effect. The Church has been wounded through the terrible sins of her members and her ministers, and there must be spiritual as well as practical efforts made to repair the wounds.
To this end, the bishop himself has undertaken added prayer, sacrifice, and reparation for the purification of the Church and the healing of victims. He has also called for the faithful in the diocese to join with him in these prayers.
• Review of all files — As many dioceses are now doing, the Diocese of Madison is in the process of scheduling a full, independent review of all priest personnel files. This will serve to make absolutely certain that not only have past cases been properly handled, but that historical instances of abuse are identified, even where no current victims might be known.
• Added work hours devoted to Safe Environment and Victim Assistance — Responsibilities have been shifted among diocesan personnel and work hours have been added through the separation of the previously combined roles of “Director of Safe Environment” and “Victim Assistance Coordinator.” This separation of roles has already allowed for greater focus on both the constant improvement of safe environment processes and on caring for the needs of victims and accusers.
