US bishops insist morale high among priests despite abuse revelations

AMERICAN priests maintain high morale and enjoy the appreciation of parishioners despite the molestation of minors perpetrated by a few among their ranks, the president of the nation’s Catholic bishops said yesterday.

In a speech defending the clergy, Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane, Washington, told a meeting of the nation’s bishops that three recent studies show “the high level of morale among priests” despite the sex abuse crisis and pressures caused by a decline in vocations. Also, “there is every indication that the Catholic people appreciate their priests,” he added.

“It has been a painful time for the vast majority of priests who did nothing to deserve (the) pain” caused by abuse crises or the resulting “avalanche of negative publicity,” Skylstad said.

He added that bishops are “required by law and in conscience to respond and take necessary action where abuse is admitted or established” but “the presumption of innocence follows priests until the facts of the case indicate otherwise”.

Skylstad said bishops must do better in building bonds with their clergy, noting that one survey of priests showed that only 27% felt they would be treated fairly if accused.

He also mentioned the effect of the scandal on fellow bishops.

“There is no question these past years have taken a toll on us,” he said.

The abuse crisis that erupted in January 2002 spread across the United States and beyond, with American dioceses calculating they’ve paid over $1 billion in settlements and other costs since 1950 related to guilty clergy.

More than 11,500 claims of abuse have been made against American priests over the last five decades.

Just before the meeting opened, the lay reform group, Voice of the Faithful, took the bishops to task because much of this week’s discussion will occur in executive sessions rather than being open to Church observers and the media.

“We were taken aback that half of this meeting is behind closed doors. The bishops should lead, not impede,” said the group’s vice-president, Kristine Ward, of Dayton, Ohio.

She said the bishops especially need to discuss openly the ongoing issues surrounding priestly abuse, which she called “the largest crisis in the past 500 years of this Church.”

Skylstad is dealing with the problems locally in his own diocese, which has filed for bankruptcy protection against claims from abuse victims.