ND Letter Responds to Catholic Pri Est Scandal

·~~---------------------------------------------·------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~ Friday, August 30, 2002 George Clinton THE brings onda funk The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's VOL XXXVII NO. 4 HTTP://OBSERVER.ND.EDU ND letter responds to Catholic pri_est scandal decided to address these issues Dame community to take, there The letter noted "there is no the youth, which would be By MEGHANNE DOWNES at its annual June conference had been discussions by single measure which, if taken, open to review and improve Assistant News Editor in Dallas. What many are not Malloy's office, and bishops will restore the Church's prac ments. This policy would aware of is that as these accu had responded that they would tices and reputation to a state include consultation from Throughout the spring and sations were unfolding in the be receptive to input. of wholeness." This is because members of the clergy and laity summer, as Americans tuned press, University President of the complexity of the prob and non-Catholics and would into watch the late-night news, Father Edward Malloy had Letter full of questions lem and the variances between require the bishop to hear each they were informed of accusa called for the formation of a the particulars of each case victim's complaint. A National tions and The extended letter was sent Church Study Committee. to the bishops on May 22 and and the manner in which indi Policy Review Board would be cover-ups The committee compiled a vidual cases were and will be established to facilitate the pol of priests during the June conference, 13-page document entitled the Appleby was invited as a guest handled. icy. The letter also suggests sexually "Challenges and Opportunities In addition, the letter states that bishops who decline to abusing speaker, where he reiterated Arising from the Current part of the proposals from the that a single measure will be "follow the recommendation of minors. Crisis." The committee chaired effective because of the lack of the board should be required Following letter, by Carol Mooney, law professor The letter opened with a tes uniformity in the organization to provide a written statement t h e s e and vice president and associ between the different branches of his reasons for doing so to reports, timonial of belief in the ate provost, included the fol Church, which was followed by and dioceses and their inde the board." they were lowing members: Scott pendence. The addition of laity is pre given the Mooney questions directed towards Appleby, John Borkowski, John priests and bishops. "How, Restoring trust and bolster sumably to ensure that the vic opportuni- Cavadini, Father John Jenkins, then, can a priest, who partici ing the confidence of the laity, tims are heard and to dispel ty to laugh at the Catholic M. Cathleen Kaveny, Dennis pated by grace of ordination in especially the youth, is essen the pattern of covering up Church as late-night comedy Moore, Patricia O'Hara, Father the priesthood of Christ, possi tial according to the document. accusations. used these scandals of a Mark Poorman, Robert bly subject a child to sexual Suggestions for accomplishing According to the letter, "the minority of priests to seemingly Schmuhl, and Father Richard abuse and the physical and this included a listening session consequence of sexual miscon stigmatize the entire clergy. Warner. psychological harm that comes (where statements from victims duct with a minor child now or As this was unfolding, the In mid-March, the committee in its wake? ... How, then, can would be heard at the confer in the future should be immedi American Catholic Church was met with a lawyer, psychologist a bishop, who is called to be a ence), victim outreach, a ate lacization following the in a serious state as members and journalist in order to get shepherd to Christ's flock, pos National Day of Penance and provision of appropriate treat of the laity were developing a different perspectives. sibly allow such abuse to con Hope and study/discussion ment." mistrust for the Church that "The consultations helped tinue without protest - or what packets. The letter also states that it they looked towards for guid our ideas to gel," said Mooney. is worse, to transfer an offend The committee strongly sug would be irresponsible to ance. According to Mooney, er to a situation where he has gested the adoption of an inter remove a priest from the As a result, the United States although this was an unusual access to a new group of im national policy that would Conference of Catholic Bishops step for members of the Notre unsuspecting victims." err .on the side of protecting see LETTER/page 8 Saint Mary's Many issues factor into off-campus moves against this line of thinking. passes IX)E By JIM GAFFEY "While it's true that in a limited News Writer number of cases it is possible to live more cheaply off campus," he inspections More than 20 percent of the said. "When you add it all up, the Notre Dame student body and cost isn't that big of an issue." half the senior class will call Another consideration for By SARAH NESTOR South Bend, and not the Notre many moving off campus is the Saint Mary's News Editor Dame campus, home this semes opportunity for co-ed housing. ter. Kyle Fager, a senior English More than a year after Sarah The move has increased migra major, thinks a co-ed living Alter, with the support of the tion ofT campus in recent years arrangement would be beneficial. Security on Campus organiza and has administrators con "I think living with the opposite tion, filed charges with the cerned. sex brings things to the table that Department of Education Scott Kachmarik, associate you would not otherwise think claiming that Saint Mary's mis director of the Office of Residence about," he said. "Living with represented its sexual assault Life and Housing, thinks the women oilers a different perspec statistics, the DOE has said the trend is fueling a gradual loss of tive that a guy wouldn't have." College complies with report an important aspect of the Notre Increased independence is one ing procedures. Dame experience. of the primary motives upper The DOE determined that "When alumni meet, the first classmen mention for moving off the College "has not substan thing they ask each other is what campus. "Throughout high tively misrepresented the dorm they lived in," he said. "At school, I had a parent watching crime statistics" and "the Notre Dame we are very fortu over me, punishing me for doing College's current overall inter nate and blessed to have our irresponsible things," Fager said. est and efforts in the area of upperclass students as role mod "It was the same feeling at Notre campus safety were impres eL<>. The movement of seniors off Dame [before I moved offl." sive." campus hurt.<> the sense of com Mike Brown, a senior finance The complaint filed against ~~:~" mwrlty on campus. We lose some major, said living on-campus was ':1-,:~ Saint Mary's on May 13, 2001, valued community members." too restrictive for the things he alleged that Saint Mary's secu But Kachmarik also notes that enjoyed doing. • • • e • f f I rity was not in compliance the high number of student.<> mov "Parietals didn't exactly figure • . ~, • .. • • • •• ., ~- - # with the Jeanne Clery Act, ing off campus alleviates a des into my decision to move off cam which requires that crime sta ... ·.··.~-·· perate space crunch in the pus," Brown said, "but it figures tistics be updated yearly and dorms. into the increased indepen students be educated about "We are over 100 percent sexual assault and safety. dence." capacity in the dorms," he said. "I Alter reported an assault to Relatively few students, howev need 1200-1300 people each campus security in 1999. er, directly blame the new alcohol year living off-campus," When the crime statistics came policy as a motive for moving off Kris Payovich and Patrick Dunnigan wash dishes together in Kachmarik said, adding that 25 out in the fall of 2000, Alter campus. The Office of Residence their house on St. Peter's Street. They moved off campus with students are on a waiting list to found there was a zero under Life and Housing reports that three other girls to have more freedom and responsibility. get into dorm rooms. the 1999 forcible rape statis only 38 students took up their tics. This was the basis of her For some, the choice to live off offer to refund housing contract already made the decision to there are only a limited number complaint with DOE. campus was based on financial deposits for those students who move off-campus beforehand. of people living in the same dorm "The thing they had found considerations. Senior Ben Rickie, chose to live off campus as a Increased social opportunities and many more social events off technically were things we had for example, said he moved off result of the new alcohol policy. also weigh into the decisions to campus. And, Wilkerson said, "A already been in the process of campus, "No. 1, for the money, Although senior Jesse Hensley move out of the dorms. Senior nice perk is not eating dining hall and No.2, for the freedom." was not pleased with the intro Matt Wilkerson, a former Knott Kachmarik cautions students llall resident, cited the fact that see DOE/page 6 duction of the new policy, he had see MOVE/ page 4 page 2 The Observer+ WHAT,S UP Friday, August 30, 2002 INSIDE COLUMN WHAT'S INSIDE CAMPUS WORLD& BUSINESS SPORTS SYR in a tent? NEWS NATION NEWS VIEWPOINT SCENE I'm sure that years from now when I Police provide Skakel gets Boeing refuses Off-campus Concert at ND Notre Dame at look back on my time at Notre Dame, I'll tips for home 20 years to to resume living may be gets campus Maryland always have a special place in my heart for that SYR at the Rock.

Load more