Denver Catholic

4 FEBRUARY 23-MARCH 8, 2019 | DENVER CATHOLIC W ith a desire to "shine the bright light of transparency" on the tragedy of sexual abuse of minors within the Church, Denver Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila has announced that the three Colorado dioceses have voluntarily partnered with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser to conduct an independent review of the dioceses' fi les and policies related to the sexual abuse of children. In a joint news conference on Feb.19 at the attorney general's o† ce, it was also announced that the three dioceses will voluntarily fund an independent reparations program for survivors of such abuse. "The damage infl icted upon young people and their families by sexual abuse, especially when it's committed by a trusted person like a priest, is pro- found," said Archbishop Aquila. "While this process will certainly include pain- ful moments and cannot ever fully restore what was lost, we pray that it will at least begin the healing process." Discussions for these two initiatives began last year with former Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Co• man, and then fi nalized recently with Weiser. Both Co• man and Weiser praised the dio- ceses' willingness to address this issue. "It is well known that child sexual abuse is a societal problem that demands attention and action," said Weiser. "I am pleased the Church has recognized the need for transparency and reparations for victims." Co• man added: "Childhood sexual abuse is not specifi c to one institution or to the Catholic Church. The spot- light is on the Catholic Church, but this abuse is indicative of what has hap- pened in other institutions. We want to shine a light on what has happened. "[The dioceses] demonstrated their commitment to acknowledging past abuse by priests and moving forward with honesty and accountability." The independent fi le review will be handled by Robert Toyer, a former U.S. Attorney for Colorado. His fi nal report is expected to be released in the fall of 2019 and will include a list of diocesan priests with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors, along with a review of the dioceses' handling of the allegations. The report will also include an evalu- ation of the dioceses' current policies and procedures, something that was not included in other states' reviews, such as the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report. "We in Colorado have found our own way in the wake of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report," said Weiser. "We have a set of dioceses here who came to the table to develop appropriate solu- tions that are collaborative, committed to transparency and put victims fi rst. "This is not a criminal investiga- tion. This is an independent inquiry with the full cooperation of the Catholic Church," said Weiser. Since 1991, the Archdiocese of Denver has had a policy of mandatory reporting of all allegations to local authorities. The procedures were fur- ther strengthened by the 2002 Dallas Charter to include comprehensive background checks, zero-tolerance policies, safe environment training, and training for children as well. "This independent fi le review pres- ents an opportunity for an honest and fair evaluation of the Church in Colo- rado's historical handling of the sexual abuse of minors by priests," said Arch- bishop Aquila. "We are confi dent in the steps we have taken to address this issue and that there are no priests in active ministry currently under investigation." The independent reparations pro- gram will be run by two nationally-rec- ognized claims administration experts, Kenneth R. Feinberg and Camille S. Biros, who will review individual cases and make fi nancial awards to victims who elect to participate. The victims are free to accept or reject the award, but the Colorado dioceses are bound by what the administrators decide. The program will have oversight pro- vided by an independent committee chaired by former U.S. Senator Hank Brown. More details will be announced in the coming months, and the program will o† cially open closer to the release of the fi nal report. This is similar to a program insti- tuted by former Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput in 2006. Archbishop Aquila said it is important for local Catholics to know the program will be funded by archdiocesan reserves, with no money being taken from ministries or charities at parishes, annual diocesan appeals, or Catholic Charities. "With humility and repentance, we hope the programs announced today o• er a path to healing for survivors and their families," Archbishop Aquila said. And acknowledging how painful this has been for everyone in the Church, Archbishop Aquila said he hopes this is a step towards restoring confi dence among the faithful. "Helping people to restore their trust, to live their faith, that is essen- tial," said Archbishop Aquila. "And to help them have a deeper encounter with Jesus Christ, so that is my goal in all of this. I know that healing is possible in Jesus Christ." Cover Story BY MARK HAAS mark.haas@archden.org @markhaastv Seeking justice, transparency and accountability, archdiocese voluntarily enters agreement with attorney general Initiatives include independent investigation and independent reparations program Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and shakes hands with Arch- bishop Samuel J. Aquila following the announcement of a comprehensive joint agreement to conduct an independent review of all Colorado dio- ceses' fi les and policies related to the sexual abuse of children. PHOTOS BY ANYA SEMENOFF Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila's remarks at the press conference- expressed hope that this agree- ment would promote healing for survivors of sexual abuse and help to restore trust in the Church. This is not a criminal investigation. This is an independent inquiry with the full cooperation of the Catholic Church." PHIL WEISER "

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