Response to Current News Events
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Previous News
March 2020:
Ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) Communcations
February 2020:
President of USCCB Issues Statement on Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, Querida Amazonia
May 2019:
New norms for the whole Church against those who abuse or cover up
February 2019:
Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church
October 2018:
Primer on Recent News Accounts of the Abuse of Minors
September 2018:
Priests who served in the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana with Substantiated Allegations of Sexual Misconduct with Minors
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Administrative Committee Statement on Sex Abuse Scandals
Bishop Doherty's Statement from Sept. 16, 2018 edition of the Catholic Moment
Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend releases statement regarding conclusion of DA investigation
Conversation with Cardinal Dolan: September 11, 2018
Bishop Doherty's Message in The Catholic Moment: Sept. 3, 2018
August 2018:
Archbishop McCarrick; the Pennsylvania Report, August 5, 2018
Joint Response to Pennsylvania Grand Jury
President of U.S. Bishops' Conference Announces Effort, August 16, 2018
Bishop Doherty's Message to the Diocese: August 16, 2018
Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis to the People of God, August 20, 2018
Watch Bishop Doherty on CNN, August 17, 2018
President of U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Renews Commitment
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Bishop Doherty statement on the Vatican “McCarrick Report”
Bishop Doherty statement on the Vatican “McCarrick Report” to be released at 8:00 AM EST on Tuesday, November 10, 2020.
The question of “when” has been asked by bishops and our people for over a year. I have not seen it, nor any summary of its contents as of November 6. No doubt it will be a black eye for the Church, but it is better to know what went wrong. Sin abhors daylight and healing requires light. Theodore McCarrick was dismissed from the clerical state (defrocked) on February 13, 2019. Those who were victimized by McCarrick may receive some consolation as wrongs done to them are acknowledged. Any who may have warned against McCarrick’s advancement will be vindicated.
I will have more to say about the matter after I read the Vatican report. Media sources say that it is quite lengthy. It is part of my role to read what it will contain, but my ongoing disgust with the McCarrick affair means that I am not looking forward to it. It is difficult to overstate the pain and distress that our priests experience from the shock waves radiating from everything relating to McCarrick’s immoral actions. They need our prayerful support.
It is important for you to know that I had no prior knowledge of McCarrick’s reputation for illicit behavior when it came to his abuses of power or his sexual misdeeds.
As I related a year ago at this time, “When news of McCarrick’s evil actions came to light in June of 2018, many Catholics’ first concern was for the integrity of our seminaries. Seminary administrators immediately set to work examining their institutions and re-stating processes to insure the safety of seminarians. Seminarians and their families deserved and received communications about behavioral expectations and any violations of them. This appeared to be underreported only because there were so many events competing for headlines for the rest of that summer and fall.
“Predating the McCarrick revelations, all diocesan clergy and employees, and all volunteers who have contact with minors, sign a code of conduct as part of their required Safe and Sacred Training.”
In addition, by the Fall of 2019, all of our active priests and deacons, me included, signed our Code of Conduct for Clergy of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana.
Pointing out all the holy good ministries of the Church at this time might, to some, appear self-serving. But we are well reminded that sin has marred our mission through time, as early as Judas’s betrayal and Peter’s denial. Even so, grace, holiness and nobility have always shown brightly. These require continual recommitment on our part, and I certainly encourage our personal adherence to these things in our present moment.
Download the full statement here. -
Ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) Communcations
The ongoing communications regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found at https://dol-in.org/covid-19-updates. Should you have further questions, you are advised to reach out to the diocesan Office of Communications or Office of Human Resources. Please forward this information with any pertinent staff and administration as appropriate.
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Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting Service
The nationwide service has been established to receive reports of sexual abuse and related misconduct by bishops for investigation
Lafayette, IN – The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops today announced the Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting (CBAR) Service has been established to receive reports of sexual abuse and related misconduct by bishops, and to relay those reports to proper authorities for investigation. This is the latest measure from Pope Francis’ apostolic letter, Vos estis lux mundi (“You are the light of the world”) to be implemented.
Read more here...
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President of USCCB Issues Statement on Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, Querida Amazonia
February 12, 2020
WASHINGTON—Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has issued the following statement regarding the release today of Pope Francis’s Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Querida Amazonia. The exhortation follows upon the Special Synod of Bishops held in Rome from October 6-27, 2019 that focused on the Amazon region.
Archbishop Gomez’s statement follows:
“Today our Holy Father Pope Francis offers us a hopeful and challenging vision of the future of the Amazon region, one of the earth’s most sensitive and crucial ecosystems, and home to a rich diversity of cultures and peoples. The Pope reminds us that the Church serves humanity by proclaiming Jesus Christ and his Gospel of love, and he calls for an evangelization that respects the identities and histories of the Amazonian peoples and that is open to the ‘novelty of the Spirit, who is always able to create something new with the inexhaustible riches of Jesus Christ.’
“He also calls all of us in the Americas and throughout the West to examine our ‘style of life’ and to reflect on the consequences that our decisions have for the environment and for the poor. Along with my brother bishops here in the United States, I am grateful for the Holy Father’s wisdom and guidance and we pledge our continued commitment to evangelizing and building a world that is more just and fraternal and that respects the integrity of God’s creation.”
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Media Contacts
Chieko Noguchi or Miguel Guilarte
(202) 541-3200 -
Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church
The "Protection of Minors in the Church" Meeting, attended by presidents of the Bishops Conferences of the Catholic Church, will take place at the Vatican Feb. 21-24, 2019. The website, www.pbc2019.org, was established to be able to transparently and authentically follow the process of change and development, both during the meeting and thereafter.
New norms for the whole Church against those who abuse or cover up
Pope Francis’ Motu proprio, "Vos estis lux mundi", establishes new procedures for reporting abuse and violence, and ensures that Bishops and Religious Superiors are held accountable for their actions. It includes the obligation for clerics and religious to report abuse. Every Diocese must have a system that allows the public to submit reports easily. Read more. -
Primer on Recent News Accounts of the Abuse of Minors*A primer is a short, informative piece of writing.Purpose Statement: This primer has been created to provide readers with background and information on the sexual abuse scandal within the Catholic Church. In today’s society, there are a number of places one can find news and information. We recognize that some of that information is not always accurate or presented in its entirety. This document aims to identify important news events, provide definitions for key terms used when discussing the scandal, and offer insight and resources for you to use to find additional information.
*This primer is a dynamic document. Updates to the document are anticipated as new events and Church responses become known.
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Full text of this primer is available here.
February 2019 - Version 3, December 2018 - Version 2, October 2018 - Version 1