This article quotes the head of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) as saying nearly one-third of U.S. bishops have been accused of mishandling claims of sexual abuse. I'm guessing that many of those accusations involve bungled situations and not intentional misconduct, so I'm sticking with my ten percent figure for now.

At least in my seminary in the 1960s, we got no training on how to handle complaints of child sexual abuse - that training is now given to all employees and volunteers who work in my diocese. Handling such complaints is not as straightforward as it seems, because the natural inclination is not to believe accusations of sexual misconduct against young priests who seem so nice. Employees and volunteers are now instucted to report all such questions to both law enforcement and church management, and leave the sorting to professionals.

At their meeting this month, the U.S. bishops were set to vote on proposals for dealing with misconduct by bishops. At the last minute, they received a Vatican to postpone that vote until after the international meeting on the subject that will take place early next year. I suppose that makes sense, but such delays are frustrating and disappointing.

-Joe-