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ORANGE, CA – January 2, 2003 -- With deep sorrow for all victims of sexual abuse the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange acknowledges that on January 1, 2003 the provisions of Senate Bill 1779 became active. As part of this new law, the filing of lawsuits claiming past sexual misconduct by Diocesan priests is expected. According to the Most Reverend Tod Brown, Bishop of the Diocese of Orange, “We are deeply concerned for all the victims of sexual abuse, and their families. We hope that whatever legal process is afforded will be an important step in their healing and reconciliation of the victims with the Church. We cannot move past this scandal until all the claims are heard, and a just response is achieved.” The Diocese of Orange is one of 12 California Dioceses responding to lawsuits anticipated to be filed under Senate Bill 1779. This measure removes the statute of limitations for one year, allowing lawsuits against third party employers in cases of sexual abuse. The Diocese of Orange intends to:
In acknowledging the claims filed against the church, Bishop Brown asked for the support of all Catholics during this process. “I believe we will emerge from this crisis a humbler, holier, healthier and more loving Church. We will respond as disciples of the Lord Jesus. Relying on His wisdom and grace, we will remain committed to the Church’s abiding mission to teach, serve, and reconcile,” stated Bishop Brown. During the past year, the Diocese of Orange has reviewed, revised and updated its written policies on sexual abuse of minors by priests, deacons and other church personnel. The Diocese also published and distributed a copy of the policy to all clergy and lay employees. Every priest who has been found to have engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor has been removed from ministry, and the Diocese continues to cooperate with law enforcement investigations of pending cases. The Diocese complies with all applicable state and federal laws with respect to reporting allegations, supporting an individual’s right to report an allegation and fully cooperates in any investigations. Priests requesting assignments in the Diocese of Orange from other Dioceses are now subject to thorough background checks. The Diocese contracts with an independent assistance ministry coordinator to provide immediate pastoral care for victims and their families. A review board has been in place for several years to advise the Bishop in matters of sexual misconduct allegations. This board has been expanded and now consists almost entirely of laity. All Diocesan employees who have regular contact with children have been fingerprinted, and it is anticipated that all volunteers will be fingerprinted soon. The Diocese is partnering with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and is implementing a safety program for all children and their parents in both the schools and religious education programs. Question and answer sessions, organized by the diocesan staff, have been offered in many of the parishes in order to provide parishioners with information regarding the sexual abuse crisis and hear their concerns. The Diocese of Orange is contracting with a licensed psychologist to facilitate peer support groups for victims and is in the process of interviewing other therapists to conduct support groups for the families of victims. The groups will be guided through a number of issues that victims confront as they try to survive their abuse. Anonymity for all who call and/or join groups will be respected. Information can be obtained on these groups by calling 1-800-364-3064. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange was established in 1976 and includes 60 parishes and centers, 38 elementary and 6 Catholic high schools, as well as hospitals, retreat centers and provides a variety of charitable ministries to people in all walks of life. Nearly 1.2 million Roman Catholics reside in the Diocese. Download
this article in English (PDF)
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