The Catholic bishops of Canada have launched a national, bilingual service for reporting situations of sexual abuse either committed or covered up by a bishop.
(CCN article updated May 11)
By Brian Dryden, Canadian Catholic News
[OTTAWA – CCN] – The Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has announced the launch of a Canadian Reporting System for Sexual Abuse or Cover-up by a Catholic Bishop.
Confidential reports of sexual misconduct or cover-up by a Catholic bishop in Canada can now be made online at www.bishopreportingsystem.ca or by calling 1-866-892-3737.
In a May 6 media release, the CCCB said the new confidential and national service furthers their “commitment to responsibility, accountability and transparency in matters of clergy sexual abuse and their commitment to facilitate healing and justice for victims-survivors.”
The CCCB said the new reporting system is the Canadian Catholic Church’s “direct response” to Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter Vos estis lux mundi (“You are the light of the world”) which called on all dioceses and parches to establish “one or more public, stable and easily accessible systems for submission of reports.”
“With Vos estis lux mundi, the Pope indicates what procedures must be followed in the universal Church when allegations are made against a bishop,” states the CCCB release.“In doing so, he updates, clarifies and standardizes practices around the world.”
The CCCB adds: “The reporting system for bishops introduces an additional level of accountability for Church leadership in Canada, alongside the existing diocesan/eparchial protocols for reporting and responding to sexual abuse or other sexual misconduct by priests, deacons, religious, and mandated lay pastoral personnel.”
The new abuse reporting system was developed by the Canadian firm Clearview Strategic Partners in consultation with Canada’s bishops.
“This new reporting system is designed to receive and transmit to the proper Church authorities reports of sexual abuse, sexual misconduct (e.g., sexual harassment or possession of child pornography) or cover-up by a Catholic Bishop,” the CCCB said.
The reporting system is not intended to replace a criminal investigation or other civil action, but rather addresses the Church investigation that is required under Canon Law, when there is any allegation of abuse or misconduct against a bishop, according to a CCCB “frequently-asked questions” resource about the new initiative.
“ClearView’s technology benefits anyone wanting to make such a report by providing them with a secure and confidential platform, allowing them to remain anonymous if they so choose, and ensuring all communications are documented and preserved,” according to the CCCB media release.
Reports submitted through the new system are forwarded by ClearView to Church authorities. ClearView also abides by the requirement to report to civil authorities immediately if a minor is at risk, as per the laws of each Canadian province and territory.
The new reporting system can be accessed online 24 hours a day in English or French at BishopReportingSystem.ca or by calling toll-free 1-866-892-3737.
Frequently asked questions about the new system: LINK
Under the new Clearview system, a report can be made regarding any of the following categories of bishops: all living Roman Catholic (Latin) bishops in Canada, both active and retired, as well as those who served in Canada but who are now living outside the country, and the Eparchial bishops of three of the Eastern Churches present in Canada (Catholic Armenian, Syro-Catholic and Maronite Catholic bishops).
Dr. Delphine Collin-Vézina of Montreal’s McGill University says that the new reporting system is designed to protect abuse victims.
“Our society must aim to create a climate of safety where the abuse of children and vulnerable people is simply not tolerated, and where their support is paramount,” said Collin-Vézina, who is director of the Centre for Research on Children and Families at McGill.
“The newly established national, bilingual system for reporting sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, or cover-up by a Catholic bishop in Canada is an important step forward in this direction. This system is rooted in a victim-first approach and aims to remove the multiple barriers that prevent disclosure.
“These abuses have been silenced and covered up for too long, leaving victims and survivors unheard,” she said. “I applaud this initiative led by the bishops of Canada, which will hopefully facilitate healing and recovery for those who were abused.”
The CCCB announcement adds: “With this reporting system, the bishops make themselves accountable to live with integrity and to address reports of sexual abuse according to Church and civil law. At all times, they grieve with victims-survivors. They regret profoundly what offending bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and laity have inflicted on victims-survivors, as well as its effects. The bishops of Canada wish to reach out and accompany victims-survivors along the path that restores justice and promotes healing.”
This new national reporting system is just one aspect of a larger effort within the church to make sure that all instances of abuse are exposed and eliminated, says Gatineau Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher.
“We wanted to make sure there were no gaps in the system when it comes to reporting abuse,” says Durocher, who is one of four bishops on the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishop’s (CCCB) Standing Committee for Responsible Ministry and the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults.
“This is another step, and in keeping with Pope Francis’ directives, to make sure there is no place for abuse within the church,” Durocher says.
“There has been a lot of effort and focus within the church to set up procedures and protocols to make sure people feel they can safely report instances of abuse, but the reporting would eventually have to through a bishop,” Durocher explains. “But what if the issue or abuse involved a bishop?
“In some ways that was a gap in the system, what if it is a bishop that is doing something wrong or is not following the proper protocols, what then? Who do you report that to? In many ways, it is plugging a hole in the system,” he notes.
Archbishop Durocher adds that the CCCB’s Standing Committee for Responsible Ministry and the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults played a key role in the development of the new reporting system as did the two members of the committee who are abuse survivors.
“There was a lot of discussion about this to make sure that the concerns of survivors were addressed in setting up the reporting system,” notes Durocher.
The Standing Committee for Responsible Ministry and the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults, which has been a consulting body to CCCB since being established after the 2018 Plenary Assembly of Bishops, has a mandate “to provide the appropriate CCCB bodies with researched-based information, insights, and recommendations on questions and concerns related to clergy sexual abuse.”
The goal of the CCCB committee within the Church is to “address the issues of healing and prevention comprehensively in recognition of their full impact on victims, families, local communities, society and religious faith; and to do so in a manner fully consistent with federal and provincial/ territorial laws in Canada.”
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