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Lincoln Diocese again opts out of sex abuse audit

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By BOB REEVES / Lincoln Journal Star

Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 - 05:15:34 pm CDT

Once again, the Lincoln Roman Catholic Diocese has been singled out as the country’s only diocese that refused to participate in an annual audit of sex abuse data.

More than 99 percent of dioceses and eparchies nationwide responded to the voluntary survey of sex abuse claims and compliance with bishops’ guidelines on protection of children and young people, according to a release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Only the Lincoln Diocese and a small Melkite Catholic eparchy in Massachusetts refused to participate.

Story Photo
Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz photographed in the Bishop's Chapel at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ. (LJS File)

Related Link(s):


Catholic sex abuse claims down for 2nd straight year

“The Diocese of Lincoln is operating in full compliance with all civil and all laws of the Catholic Church concerning the abuse of minors,” Lincoln Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz said in a prepared statement.

“The Catholic Church teaches that all homosexual acts and any sexual abuse of minors or others are mortal sins. Such sins and heinous crimes should be appropriately punished by the authorities of the church and the state.”

The diocese has fully implemented essential norms for preventing sex abuse, as issued by the Vatican, “and is vigilant to make every reasonable effort to see that any and all abuse is prevented,” the statement said.

Bruskewitz noted the Lincoln Diocese endorses a report by the Catholic Medical Association entitled “To Protect and Prevent — The Sexual Abuse of Children and its Prevention,” and continues “to take appropriate steps to prevent such abuse.”

The diocese participated in the bishops’ initial audit in 2003 but has has not participated since.

Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, outreach director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, was critical of Bruskewitz’s decision not to participate.

“The U.S. Bishops’ five year old sex abuse policies are very weak and enforcement is nearly non-existent,” she said. “So for a bishop to deliberately ignore them is troublesome. Lincoln’s bishop should be ashamed of himself and Nebraska Catholics should insist that he cooperate with this bare minimum process to begin keeping kids safe.”

But Bruskewitz called the audit “an optional tool the dioceses may, but are not obliged to use.”

He added: “The Diocese of Lincoln has exercised its option to refrain from participation in the audit, as its application, though perhaps helpful in some dioceses, has not proven to be so in the Diocese of Lincoln.”

According to the audit, the number of clergy sex abuse claims nationwide against Catholic bishops and religious orders dropped — from 1,092 in 2004 to 783 in 2005 and 714 in 2006.

More than 70 percent of incidents against minors reported in 2006 occurred between 1960 and 1984.

Reach Bob Reeves at 473-7212 or breeves@journalstar.com.


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Nina wrote on April 11, 2007 4:56 pm:
" Interesting to read another story on this same page today about how the Omaha diocese handles wrongdoing among the church's staff. Moral responsibility goes beyond requirements - one diocese pursues wrongdoing with all its resources, and the other prefers to stick its head in the sand because of its local leadership's quirks. "

 Lincoln Catholic wrote on April 11, 2007 5:23 pm:
" By the Lincoln Diocese not participating in the audit prescribed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, it makes me wonder what the Bishop has to hide from the nation. It appears that non compliance is okay for him and that he feels that he is above the recommendations of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. If there is nothing to hide, then participate, like 99% of the Catholic churches and be held accountable. If there are problems, then acknowledge them and fix what is broken. "

 suzanne wrote on April 11, 2007 5:27 pm:
" That Bruskewitz addresses the topic of sexual abuse in the church by first equating it with "homosexual acts" is telling of his general lack of misunderstanding of the sexual abuse of children that has occured by religious leaders in the past few years. Most research shows these acts are perpetrated by heterosexual individuals, and are about power, not sexual orientation. If there are no problems in the Lincoln Diocese then I would think an audit would be welcome. I think Bruskewitz owes his religious constituency an explanation for WHY the audit has "not proven useful" in the Lincoln Diocese. In fact, perhaps the Lincoln Diocese would prove so exemplary in its practices that others across the country could adopt whatever measures have protected Bruskewitz's charges. "

 SDW wrote on April 11, 2007 5:34 pm:
" Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz is most assuredly one of those the Virgin Mary had in mind when, at her appearance at Garbandol, she warned that Bishops, Priests and others in authority in the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church were misleading the faithful. "

 not surprised wrote on April 11, 2007 6:28 pm:
" Typical of Bruskewitz's arrogance. I can't believe Lincoln Roman Catholics put up with him. "

 Mike wrote on April 11, 2007 7:04 pm:
" Our Bishop elected not to participate in the audit because: 1.There have been NO problems in our diocese and he doesn't see it as useful. 2.The audit committee has outspokenly pro-choice people on it and the Bishop does not want to support that. 3. He doesn't have to, he is in charge of he diocese and can do as he sees fit. Maybe all you criticizing should look into the situation a little more before posting ignorant comments. "

 chris wrote on April 11, 2007 7:39 pm:
" This comes as absolutely no surprise to me at all. A typical act by Bruskewitz. Many of us would choose not to put up with him, but really, what are we supposed to do? It's not like we can vote another bishop in. We're stuck with him until he dies, is replaced or he retires. We all know this guy will never retire of his own accord. "

 Carol wrote on April 11, 2007 8:44 pm:
" Just curious Mike--how do you KNOW there haven't been any problems? That is what the audit is to determine! Why do you think that 70% of the incidents reported in 2006 occurred so long ago? Adults don't realize when they are happening! And the argument that "he doesn't have to" just doesn't make sense. As a Catholic, this worries me. If you found out ten years from now that your child were abused during these years and this audit might have prevented it, no doubt you would feel differently. "

 Matt wrote on April 11, 2007 8:55 pm:
" This is no suprise, coming as it does from a man who would excommunicate lifelong Catholics. Not even priests who were found guilty of molestation were excommunicated. Someone please explain that. I myself have little interest in the Call-to-Action agenda. I do not want to re-invent the wheel. I want to worship as my ancestors did, celebrate the mass, grow in spirit and become closer to Christ and His Saints. And it is sad to see so many Catholics who avoid the Church, are indeed embarrassed by it, for this Bishop's pomposity. "

 Cogito wrote on April 11, 2007 9:32 pm:
" The bishop recognizes that the majority of these pervert cases across the country involve male on male. Perverted male priests who have relationships with pre-pubescent boys...ie homosexual relations. If society finds this behavior perverse in the Catholic church, then society should find it perverse among the pop culture. Bishop Bruskewitz is right on the money in seeing this issue as it is - a double standard in this permissive society. "

 Bill wrote on April 11, 2007 9:41 pm:
" Nice, really makes it look like he is hiding something or is just an arrogant fool. Either way is this what you want in a leader????? "

 JT wrote on April 11, 2007 10:06 pm:
" If we can't trust a Catholic leader to tell the truth on molestation, who can we trust? "

 Are you a Catholic wrote on April 11, 2007 10:31 pm:
" in this Diocese, and disgusted with the actions of your Bishop? Do you want action? Guaranteed results? Stop donating MONEY! "

 Fed up Catholic wrote on April 11, 2007 11:32 pm:
" Are you kidding me? You claim we have had no problems in Lincoln. Do you remember Fr. Hrdlicka? What about Fr. Margand? Should I go on? "

 mike wrote on April 11, 2007 11:59 pm:
" Really, What's he trying to hide ? "

 So quick to judge... wrote on April 12, 2007 12:01 am:
" Bishop Bruskewitz appears to be reaffirming his vote of confidence in the priests of Lincoln, an essential trait of an effective leader. How reasonable does it seem to expect him to effectively instill goodness and greatness in his workers if he repeatedly subjects them to unfounded questioning? "

 Peaches0329 wrote on April 12, 2007 7:38 am:
" Evidently the Bishop is unfamiliar with the concept "those who have nothing to hide, hide nothing". How sad for the potential victims who may be out there. "

 Zee wrote on April 12, 2007 7:42 am:
" His refusal to participate in the audit is another way of getting national notice, even though it's for being medieval in thought and action. "

 Comm UnSense wrote on April 12, 2007 7:48 am:
" Funny comment on the Omaha diocese. Yes, they are prosecuting a nun for embezzling money. But they forgave a priest that did the same thing. Sent him to Canada for "therapy" and promised him a place in the diocese upon his return. I'll take the Lincoln diocese any day. Thanks Bishop Fabian for your unbending stance on the Catholic faith. "

 JoeyG wrote on April 12, 2007 8:08 am:
" If there isn't or wasn't a problem with this subject then why didn't Bruskewitz go ahead with the audit? Sounds to me like he has something to hide. The audit is there to find these problems, and he is trying to cover his footsteps. His comment about “The Catholic Church teaches that all homosexual acts are mortal sins” is always the Diocese fall back on things. Every time that I attend a Catholic mass homosexual acts are brought up, and how they are mortal sins. What would the lord think about child molestation? There is a difference in "homosexual acts" and child molestation. In my opinion child molestation is a "mortal sin" compared to a homosexual act in which case to men or to women are willing to participate in the act. Sounds to me like Bruskewitz is trying to run the Lincoln Diocese like our President is running our country. He is going to do what he wants to do, and not listen to what the "people" have to say. "

 Oracle wrote on April 12, 2007 9:07 am:
" Call it Catholic bashing if you like, but after 12 years of Catholic schools, 1/2 my life as a Catholic, I have come to realize that Catholicism is a cult. In a more normal religion people would be leaving the Lincoln Diocese in droves. Instead we have people moving to Lincoln attracted to the excessive authoritarianism (even for the Catholic Church) practiced by Bruskewitz. If you want change, leaving is the only option, as church authorities, especially in Lincoln, could care less what the laity thinks. I know this is hard after hearing for years that Catholicism is "the one true Church". I feel for the dedicated members of Call to Action, but change will never happen without more radical action than complaining. There is a reason that Protestantism happened. Please quit enabling a corrupt Church. "

 Spacetom5 wrote on April 12, 2007 9:59 am:
" The fact that the guidelines are weak is a good reason to ignore them. Note that the bulk of the reports are from old cases. The John Jay study said that over 80% of the cases were homosexual in nature. http://www.usccb.org/nrb/johnjaystudy/ The Bishop is right-on! "

 Genuflect wrote on April 12, 2007 10:17 am:
" They are "in full compliance with all civil and all laws of the Catholic Church concerning the abuse of minors". What’s that mean? Father uses contraception. Oh wait, the Church has a “moral” stance against that. "

 Mike wrote on April 12, 2007 10:33 am:
" It is not that the Bishop is hiding anything. We went through this all last year, there are pro-choice people on the audit committee, and he won't tolerate that, as he shouldn't. Just because he doesn't allow this audit to come in doesn't mean that he is not doing anything. The year they did come in, they found nothing wrong. He is the one responsible and if something does go wrong, he will take the blame. Let me know when that happens and then I will agree with you all. "

 HUSKERSLOVETHELAMB wrote on April 12, 2007 12:41 pm:
" Why dont all the gay-lovers and liberals go start a church! They are going to hell anyway! Megadittos for BISHOP BRUSKAWITZ! He is OUR REBEL! "

 as wrote on April 12, 2007 12:57 pm:
" The foundation of this issue & most of the issues that have been covered in the JS recently remains the superiority complex of the Lincoln Bishop. Somewhere along the way he has decided that the church in Lincoln is his when it really belongs to the Catholics of the diocese. Yet until he is replaced (after his death) nothing can be done as far as changing the diocese' reputation as the laughing stock of the Catholic church. To speak out against any of the policies or disagree with a pastor is to risk excommunication or whatever he decides to do. The man gives new meaning to the term autocratic. He is the shepherd & is supposed to gently lead and serve not expect blind obedience from his priests and parishioners as well as to be the one waited on. "

 Lolly wrote on April 12, 2007 1:43 pm:
" As a nonpracticing catholic (not by my choice) it seems that the Lincoln Diocese keeps pushing its members away. Here is another example of Bruskewitz doing what he wants, what harm would an audit do if it would reassure parents that their kids are safe? He only cares about MONEY and himself, remember we worship God and Jesus not him!!!! "

 jamiec09 wrote on April 12, 2007 3:08 pm:
" I find it very disturbing that the Bishop is not allowing an audit pertaining to the possibility of there being sexual abuse on our children. If everything is so great within the Church, why not have the audit to further prove that everything within the diocese is great, unless there is something to hide. What does this tell those that have been abused by a higher authority within the church? what it tells them, is not to bother coming forward with what happened to them, because the Bishop won't do anything about it. "

 KayNKansas wrote on April 12, 2007 3:37 pm:
" The point is, the abuse of children whose souls are shattered by sexually immature predators. Those preators may be male or female, homosexual or heterosexual, but their victims are always children or insecure young adults. When a bishop protects a predator, the entire diocese is 'abused' financially and emotionally by that bishop's actions. The people who were 'excommunicated' were those folks whose goal is truth and justice. Truth is justice, but it requires being open and rational. This bishop is neither. But children are open and they trust. Think about it. "

 more kool-aid wrote on April 12, 2007 3:45 pm:
" Change? John Paul put hand-picked extremely conservative cardinals into place that will assure the Catholic church remains medieval well into the future. Just look at his successor. The Catholic Church, as one poster noted above, would not exist were it not for the fear of parishoners that leaving will lead to eternal damnation. How else can you explain the continued existence of an institution that chose to systematically shelter child molesters within its midst for decades, deeming it more important to protect its hierarchy than it was to act for the well being of children! Would anybody continue to willingly return to any other place that did such a thing? In the wake of that outrage, for Bruskewitz as part of that church hierarchy to claim he's beyond reproach is just laughable, if not sickening. And, for the poster above who claims that his job is to protect his priests -- umm, isn't that exactly the kind of attitude that led to the scandal in the first place? As a recovering Catholic all I can say is free yourselves, fellow sufferers. "

 b wrote on April 12, 2007 4:01 pm:
" it always makes me wounder when one person thinks he knows better than 99.998% of every body else!? "

 FormerCatholicCultmember wrote on April 13, 2007 10:03 am:
" A few clarifications for some of the participants in this post. The only member of the Charter Board who supported abortion rights, Leon Panetta, is no longer on the Board. One member of the Board, a physcian, remains who supports stem cell research. Men having sex with children is not homosexuality, though uninformed members of the Church routinely refer to it as such. It is known as pedophillia, a psychiatric condition in the DSM IV which is used to diagnose mental illness. True homosexuals will only want to have sex with other grown men. Finally, people remain in a cult through very specific means: control of all information, use of fear to control, a sacred "science or doctrine" that is not disputable, a charismatic leader. These are about half of the conditions identified in the book MIND CONTROL AND THOUGHT REFORM, published in the early 1950s after research on communist goverments was performed, specifically Maoist China. Have a nice day. "

 Joseph Jaglowicz wrote on April 13, 2007 3:02 pm:
" So the audit is, to cite the bishop, "an optional tool." Yep, and the same can be said of the indoor flush toilet. Catholics in Lincoln who are embarrassed/hurt by this bishop have one realistic option (short of moving): Stop giving MONEY to Bruskewitz! "

 Support for the Bishop wrote on April 18, 2007 9:52 am:
" I have to write in support of our Bishop. Kudos to him for not succumbing to the fear of Catholic bashers who want to diss the Church. Though many of the abuse claims were valid, many have been an attempt to get money from the Church and were not valid. Also, to clarify, the Bishop said "any sexual abuse of minorsor others is a mortal sin" and the Bishop does not support it. So why should he be bullied into something he does not support? "

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