Bishop - Easter offers renewal for hurt church

The Catholic Church, suffering because of a national sexual abuse scandal, will overcome it and grow in its faith, said the bishop of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese.

The message of Easter will have a new vitality this year because of the church's situation, said the Rev. John J. Leibrecht, the leading authority within the diocese.

Leibrecht was in Cape Girardeau this weekend to celebrate the beginning of Holy Week. He attended a Mass Friday with area priests, celebrated Mass Saturday with area Knights of Columbus members on their 100th anniversary in the state and planned to commemorate Christ's entrance into Jerusalem in a Palm Sunday procession today at St. Mary's Cathedral.

And while Leibrecht's visit was a happy one, the church is struggling with problems of abuse.

Last week, the diocese released the names of three priests removed from their duties after accusations of sexual abuse involving children.

The Revs. Leonard Chambers, Amel Shibley and Lawrence Gregovich can no longer perform the duties of priests.

Shibley had served in Frederickton, Mo., until he was asked to retire earlier this month. He had been a priest in the region since 1969, serving most of his years in Sikeston.

Gregovich was a priest in the New Madrid, Mo., area in the 1980s. He later moved to Joplin, Mo.

Both were serving in Southeast Missouri parishes when the abuse occurred. Chambers served as an associate pastor at St. Mary's Cathedral in Cape Girardeau in 1968 for a year. He was in Springfield, Mo., in the early 1980s when the abuse occurred."This is a very difficult time, but the Easter feast says there is relief beyond the suffering, healing after pain and joy after sorrow," Leibrecht said Saturday.

Not only does Scripture say that, but the church is living it now, he said.

While the sexual abuse allegations do cast a "shadow of doubt over the whole family" because of one member's action, it's not a proper assessment, Leibrecht said.

If a family has a teen-ager caught with drugs, it's not fair to say the entire family has a drug problem. The same is true of priests. "And I don't think that's what's happening in southern Missouri," he said.

People have shown "fantastic support" for the priests of the diocese, sending cards, e-mails and telephoning with encouragement. "They understand human weakness," Leibrecht said. And people understand that the church is trying to right some past wrongs.

Boston connection

Across the nation, the Catholic Church has been under fire because bishops reassigned priests known to have sexually abused children. Some people have called for the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law of the Boston Archdiocese, who once served as bishop of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau diocese, because he reassigned a now-defrocked priest to parishes knowing the priest had been accused of sexual abuse.

A lawsuit filed Friday in Hannibal, Mo., charges that the Catholic Church covered up alleged abuses by priests. All U.S. bishops are named as part of the conspiracy.

But Leibrecht, who hadn't seen the suit and couldn't comment on specifics, said the church hasn't tried to be secretive.

"I think we have to remember that those cases were in the past and the victims sought privacy," he said.

All the victims in this diocese sought to remain anonymous. Two received counseling paid for by the diocese and another was given a monetary settlement, though the diocese wouldn't specify an amount.

"The church feels obligated to honor the requests for privacy that the victims made," Leibrecht said.The bishop would not characterize his diocese's monetary settlements with victims as payoffs.

However, should an accusation be made against a priest today, the church would work with appropriate authorities to seek a resolution. The priest would immediately be stripped of his rights to practice as a priest, although he would not be forced out of the church.

But there will not be any legal ramifications for the past cases of abuse within the diocese. None of the victims have sought charges against the priests.

Based on the advice of diocesan counsel, the church did not turn over any information to authorities in those cases. Missouri's disclosure law, which requires teachers and doctors to report any signs of abuse, doesn't apply to clergy.

"Everything that needed to be done in this diocese has been done," Leibrecht said.

Treatment for priests

Leibrecht made the assessments about which priests needed treatment after the accusations were made. Both Chambers and Gregovich received treatment; Shibley did not.

Treatment is offered through a church-sponsored facility. Some priests stay only a week while others might stay six months or more. It all depends on the recommendation of the professional counselor.

But sexual abuse isn't the only reason priests might receive treatment. Some also go for depression or anxiety.

Leibrecht said people expect a lot from their pastors, putting a great amount of pressure on them to guide parishes. But at the same time, people understand that these men are human.

Catholics in Southeast Missouri are continuing to show their support for the clergy. After Friday's Mass, each priest was presented with a rose as he exited the church. A sign hung in the room where the priests dress in vestments said "God bless all who serve."

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126