As bishops meet, uneven progress

A year after US Catholic bishops committed themselves to a program to protect children against clergy sexual abuse, supporters and critics agree that genuine progress has been made in making the church a safer place.

Yet, as the top church leaders convene in St. Louis Thursday for their semiannual conference, many Catholics lament that key promises made last year by the bishops - for greater openness, accountability, and cooperation with law enforcement - are often not being kept. These, they say, lie at the heart of restoring trust in a church still struggling legally, financially, and politically with one of the worst scandals in its history.

For the bishops, the very public resignation this week of the head of a national lay board that is monitoring their response to the crisis certainly hasn't helped matters. Church officials were hoping to convene their conference behind closed doors, with an agenda that included only a report on the crisis. But the tart exit of former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating on Monday once again turns the spotlight on issues dogging the church hierarchy and deals, at least temporarily, a blow to its credibility.

In his letter of resignation, Mr. Keating, a former law-enforcement official with a tell-it-like-it-is style, stood behind his comments that some clerics were resisting cooperating with authorities in ways that resembled the "model of a criminal organization."

Earlier, Keating had accused some bishops of acting like the Mafia in hiding and suppressing information about abusive priests. He clashed in particular with Roger Mahony, the powerful cardinal of Los Angeles, who has balked at elements of a survey commissioned by the National Review Board and has resisted providing files to prosecutors.

Cardinal Mahony called for Keating to resign, and the governor bowed out when it became clear that other board members felt his staying on would be counterproductive.

By most accounts, the lay board and the Office of Child and Youth Protection it helped establish have clearly moved the church forward.

They've initiated studies on the extent of the clergy abuse and on the causes of the crisis, and they've provided guidelines and training on safe-environment programs for schools and parishes.

This month, 50 former FBI agents are fanning out to audit the 195 dioceses' compliance with promised child-protection policies and programs. A full audit report, which is to name any dioceses not in compliance, will be issued by the end of the year.

"As a whole, the church is stronger and healthier and safer," acknowledges David Clohessy, director of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. "But sad to say," he adds, "we haven't seen many encouraging signs of real reform at the top."

Polls show that Catholics remain distressed over their leadership. A survey this spring by LeMoyne College and Zogby International found support for bishops had eroded over the year from 68 to 59 percent. It also found a rise to 94 percent in those wanting the pope to discipline bishops who fail to remove offending priests. Gallup further reported that 40 percent of Catholics say they are now less likely to make contributions to the church.

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