Church leaders expect changes to proposed abuse policy

BOSTON -- Top U.S. leaders of the Roman Catholic church asked parishioners Sunday to pray for their bishops as they gather in Dallas this week to debate a proposed sexual abuse policy. One said the policy needed to be strengthened, and another said he expected changes.

The proposed policy the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is expected to focus on calls for zero-tolerance for priests who molest children in the future and a two-strikes-you're-out policy for those guilty of past abuse.

Under the proposal, the Vatican would be asked to defrock those who violate the policy, and all abuse of minors would be reported to civil authorities.

"What we have before us is a draft, and I think it needs to be strengthened," Cardinal Adam Maida of Detroit said Sunday. He said he would suggest amendments but offered no details.

Archbishop Harry Flynn of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., one of the architects of the policy, said he expected changes before the plan faced the full body of bishops.

"I hope something will happen in Dallas that will speak to the people and say to the people, 'We've got it, we know that we mishandled this, and we've got it,' and that that something will be dramatic enough, in that document, in that charter, to restore that kind of trust that the bishops are asking for, and hopefully move on from this point," Flynn said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

Prayers sought

Both men and Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston asked parishioners' to pray for the church's leaders during the upcoming meeting.

The bishops have been struggling to restore trust in church leadership following revelations that some priests who victimized young people were allowed to continue working in the church. The crisis erupted in January, when documents showed Law had moved a now-defrocked priest from parish to parish despite numerous sexual abuse allegations.

Victims of clerical sex abuse had been scheduled to participate in the Dallas meeting, but church leaders withdrew their invitation to one group, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, after the organization joined a lawsuit in Minnesota against the bishops' conference. On Sunday, SNAP offered to drop the suit in order to participate in the meeting.

"We don't want anything to get in the way of genuine dialogue that might ultimately benefit children," SNAP national director David Clohessy said in a letter to Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the conference.

"We hope you see it as a tangible step toward reconciliation and toward making the church safer."

Authorities in Dallas have been preparing for the expected arrival of thousands of demonstrators and journalists during the meeting, Thursday through Saturday. At least 750 media credentials have been issued, far more than the usual 40 to 50 credentials for the group's twice-yearly meetings, conference spokesman Michael Hurley said.

Dallas police wouldn't give details about their preparations, but police spokeswoman Janice Houston said: "We can tell you there will be security provided for the event."

Several gay and lesbian groups plan to demonstrate in support for victims and against the blaming of gay priests for the scandal.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the Catholic gay and lesbian group Dignity/USA both plan to hold a 12-hour vigil Thursday night outside the Fairmont Hotel, where the bishops are meeting.

"Dignity will be there to remind people there is no link between homosexuality and the abuse of children, and we expect the policies to reflect that truth," said executive director Marianne Duddy.

Among church organizations coming to Dallas is Voice of the Faithful, a Boston-based laity reform group that wants parishioners to have more say in church affairs.

The bishops' draft policy calls for more parishioner input in policy regarding sex abuse and other issues. Voice of the Faithful plans to announce Wednesday what it hopes will be included in the final version of the policy, spokesman Mike Emerton said.

Many Catholics attending Mass at Our Lady Queen of Angels in Los Angeles said they hoped the bishops will introduce more stringent policies to stop errant priests.

"They need to say they're going to look into the background of every priest and seminarian more diligently," said Don Gridle, 43. "And give bad priests due punishment, not just hide their mistakes and transfer them around."

In Boston, Theresa Schweigert of Guilderland, N.Y., who was visiting area relatives, said she hoped the meeting would lead to a unified policy and restore confidence in the church.

"Once we've cleaned up our spiritual house, the rest will fall in line," she said.

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On the Net: United States Conference of Catholic Bishop: http://www.nccbuscc.org/