Frequently Asked Questions
We apologize and continue to make amends for the sins of our past and offer prayers and support to all victims of these actions, we must work towards continuing and enhancing the positive changes we have made to ensure that these types of atrocities never occur again. Since the turn of the century, the Church has instituted policies that take clear and decisive action to prevent future abuse.
Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report – Diocese of Harrisburg
- The Grand Jury report named 22 accused Diocesan priests, 3 seminarians and 2 deacons. Of these, 19 are deceased. An additional 8 religious order priests and 6 priests/deacons from other diocese were also named within the Harrisburg section of the report, as were 4 redacted names. The eight Diocesan priests, deacons and seminarians which are still living have all been removed from ministry.
- The Diocese’s foremost concern is for healing for survivors. The Diocese offers spiritual, pastoral, and mental health assistance to all survivors of abuse. The Diocese provides the financial means for survivors to receive the counseling services they need. Also, early in 2019, survivors will be able to participate in our Survivors’ Compensation Program, which will provide additional financial support.
- Bishop Gainer: The Survivor Compensation Program is being administered by Commonwealth Mediation & Conciliation, Inc. (CMCI). Our Program will include settlements for abuse by Diocesan Priests, Deacons and Seminarians, as well as Priests of other dioceses and Religious Order Priests who had faculties in the Diocese of Harrisburg at the time of the abuse. Funding for the Program will come in the form of a loan from the Priest’s Pension Fund and hopefully from insurance proceeds. Money that is collected in the parishes and for the Diocesan Annual Campaign (formerly known as the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal) will not go towards the funding of this Program. The Program will be administered independently from the Diocese by Paul Finn of CMCI. Finn and his firm successfully oversaw similar programs in the Archdiocese of Boston, the Diocese of Fall River (MA), the Diocese of Providence (RI), the Diocese of Springfield (MA), the Diocese of Jackson (MS), the Archdiocese of Milwaukee (WI), as well as in the Horace Mann School (Bronx, NY), and the Kamehameha School (Honolulu, HI). Further, CMCI has mediated claims involving the Rhode Island Station Fire (Providence, RI), Deutsche Bank (New York, NY), and the Big Dig Tunnel Collapse (Boston, MA).
- As part of our support for survivors, we do also pay for counseling services for any survivor which requests this service. This support is not only for survivors of clergy abuse, but also those who have been abused by a family member, friend, significant other, etc. In addition, survivors may select their own counselor, so long as that counselor has all the required licenses. Even for those who receive some amount from the Compensation Program, the Diocese will continue to provide counselling as needed.
- Bishop Gainer: We have a moral obligation to respect the wishes of our donors. When you give money for a specific program/collection (Matthew 25, Pentecost, Diocesan Annual Campaign) these dollars are restricted to the specific programs and services those collections support. As such, we do not nor would we use monies generously donated to a specific program for non-program related expenses. Also, the Diocese cannot take money from a parish in order to meet our financial obligations. Annually, we do publish our Diocesan Financial Report in The Catholic Witness and post this information to our website – www.hbgdiocese.org/about/diocesan-offices/diocesan-annual-financial-report/. Please know that as the recipient of your generosity, the Diocese of Harrisburg and I as your Bishop take the responsibility of carefully managing your gifts very seriously. We are committed to the highest standards of good stewardship, accountability and transparency.
- The funding for this program will come in the form of a loan from the Priest’s Pension Fund and hopefully from insurance proceeds. Money that is collected in the parishes and for the Diocesan Annual Campaign (formerly known as the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal) will not go towards the funding of this Program.
- The Diocese reports every accusation to ChildLine and to the appropriate District Attorney Office. If law enforcement does not conduct an investigation or indicates to the Diocese that it can conduct its own independent investigation, then the Diocese employs former law enforcement agents to review any such report of abuse. Upon the recommendation from these law enforcement agents, appropriate actions are taken by the Diocese.
- No. Any priest with a credible allegation of abuse is permanently removed from ministry. He may not work or volunteer for the Diocese or its parishes, schools, or other programs. He may not celebrate Mass publicly, administer the sacraments, wear clerical garb, or present himself publicly as a priest. Any priest with a credible allegation is also responsible for his own legal expenses.
- In the Diocese of Harrisburg, most of the accused priests are deceased or the laws of our Commonwealth prevent these charges. We do support legislation that would remove the statute of limitations on criminal charges for those who abuse children.
- This program is a comprehensive policy detailing the Diocese’s youth protection program. It explains how abuse reports should be made; who needs clearances and which types of clearances; prevention programs in place; outreach to survivors; how reports of abuse will be handled; and the roles of various Diocesan offices in the implementation of the program. The full policy can be found on our website.
- Each member of the clergy, as well as all the Diocese’s staff, volunteers and vendors, must fulfill all state requirements for background checks and training programs. All clergy must obtain PA State Police, PA Child Abuse History and an FBI fingerprint check every five years. Clergy from outside the Diocese have to provide current clearances or obtain these clearances before they can begin their service here. Also, clergy from outside the United States, in addition to the clearances previously mentioned, also have to have an Interpol clearance check.
- The application process includes a written statement of the candidate’s discernment history; an autobiography; a review of the candidate’s work, school, and financial history and understanding of the pillars of the Catholic Faith; completed State Police and FBI background checks and state-certified safe-environment training; four to six letters of recommendation; an in-depth physical examination; and a full psychological evaluation, completed over a two-day period.
- After acceptance into the seminary, which is in itself an intensive process, each candidate will spend the next 6 to 9 years preparing for the priesthood. Each candidate has a formation advisor he meets with regularly to ensure he meets the many goals required of him, including his healthy psychological maturing. Each man undergoes a full psychological evaluation a second time, half way through his time in formation, in order to help explore where he has grown and areas where he still needs help. Seminarians also participate in 6-8 summer/yearly pastoral experiences. With each experience, we require five or six members of the parish to complete an evaluation for these men. At the end of every year, the seminary’s formation team meets to examine each candidate carefully, to determine whether to vote him through to the next year or to ordination. Each seminarian knows that the Diocese can dismiss him for various reasons, but most especially in breaching the code of conduct expected of him. The bar is not set at “do not sin,” but at “be beyond reproach.”
- No. The Diocese of Harrisburg has not engaged in confidentiality agreements since 2002. Bishop Gainer, in an effort to bring healing and transparency, has waived the confidentiality agreements of any settlements previous to 2002.
- Bishop Gainer: The Diocese and I as your Bishop have said many times that we support revising the criminal Statute of Limitations. The civil statute of limitations reform, specifically the so-called “window” legislation, is not legislation we can support. An open window on old claims would force the Diocese to severely curtail its ministries. Our Catholic schools, Religious Education programs, RCIA, Respect Life, campus ministries, hospital and nursing home chaplaincy, multicultural ministries, youth athletic programs and the more than 20 human services programs we partially support through Catholic Charities, would all be drastically impacted. As the current steward of the Diocese and its resources, it is my duty to ensure that the Diocese is able to help as many people in need as possible, and a window would make that impossible. Still, the Diocese firmly believes in making restitution to the survivors for the harm done. In additional to the many spiritual and mental health supports available, the Diocese is also offering survivors financial compensation.
- Bishop Gainer: The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC) lobbies on a number of issues that are consistent with our Catholic faith. The PCC had recently been lobbying on the Down Syndrome bill (see page 8 for more details on this bill), among many other bills that are related to protecting all life and protecting marriage The PCC has also lobbied on the statute of limitations bill. Some have alleged that the PCC spend millions and millions of dollars on these efforts. The Catholic Conference does not have millions of dollars. Secondly, it has been alleged that the Catholic Conference is “buying off” state legislators. That again is untrue. The Catholic Conference does not make political donations.
- Bishop Gainer: There have certainly been instances of clericalism within the Church throughout its history. We are doing all we can to prevent clericalism, starting with those in seminary. Today’s seminary formation programs address the scourge of clericalism and seek to foster healthy attitudes of humble service in candidates for the priesthood. I also have plans in place, which I will launch shortly, to further prevent clericalism and encourage more involvement from the laity, at both the parish and diocesan levels. I also hold meetings with all the priests of the deanery before the public Listening Sessions. During these meetings, I have reminded our priests that authority in the hands of someone who is not humble easily becomes an abuse of power. The power they have is only given to us for service to our brothers and sisters.
- I also do not believe in a “top down” Church. I have always believed that I do not have a monopoly on wisdom. I would be foolish to dismiss the opinions of the faithful. I will be reconstituting the Diocesan Pastoral Council, which I am in the process of completing. I take advice seriously and have encouraged my brother priests to do the same. On a larger scale, there have been several models to increase accountability and the involvement of the laity discussed by the USCCB. We have a Diocesan Review Board composed almost entirely of laity, which reviews all accusations. Once the law enforcement investigation has concluded, this board reviews everything and provides a recommendation to me on any additional actions that should be taken.
- Bishop Gainer: The issue of same-sex attraction and relationships, and the role these may have played within this situation are complex to answer. There are many theories regarding the underlying cause of child abuse within the Church, with one of the most prominent being a homosexual subculture. However, there are other reasons for abuse including the assailant’s need to exert power and have control over another person (i.e. a child). Presently, reputable scientific studies are arriving at contradictory conclusions on this issue. If there are members of our clergy with these tendencies, these men are still expected to uphold the promise of celibate chastity they made when taking Holy Orders. If an ordained priest is found to be living an active same sex lifestyle, he is removed from ministry for violations of celibate chastity. Additionally, our screening process for men in seminary formation is very intensive. If deep seated same-sex tendencies are discovered during this process, the candidate is dismissed from formation.
- Bishop Gainer: I fully support involving the laity more in our operations.I Currently, all parishes are to have at a minimum a Pastoral Council and a Finance Council. At a recent meeting of the Priest Council, the creation of a Development Council was recommended for parishes. Additionally, we currently have a Diocesan Review Board, made up almost entirely of lay members, which reviews every allegation of abuse once law enforcement has completed their investigation. This board then makes a recommendation to me on any further actions we should take. I will also be reconstituting our Diocesan Pastoral Council in the near future. I look forward to working with this council as we address pastoral issues, together, to rebuild the trust in our Diocese and Church.
- Bishop Gainer: We are being vigilant in our efforts to share information with our pastors, parishioners, staff and the public on Diocesan operations. Through our renewed communication efforts to publish this information in The Catholic Witness, on our website and through the media, we are doing all we can to be transparent. I can assure you that in our Diocese, every document, record, report, email, etc. related to abuse has been turned over to the authorities.
- Bishop Gainer: We have a long road ahead of us and trust will be restored through our actions, not our words. With that being said, the Listening Sessions have been proof that our Church will bounce back from these dark days. Our Church, as an institution, is only as strong as its members. Your involvement and commitment will ensure that going forward we will be stronger for having been through this difficult experience. This process is going to take time and we are committed to doing things the right way, every time.
- Bishop Gainer: The call to clerical life is one the demands completely giving oneself to the Lord and His work. Clerical celibacy has been observed since the earliest times of the Church. Canon 33 at the Council of Elvira, Spain (first decade of the 4th century) affirms the long standing tradition and ecclesial discipline. While clerical celibacy is ecclesiastical law and not divine law, the Church has held it in high esteem (as did St. Paul) as an imitation of Christ for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 19:12). The discipline teaches priests to commit themselves with an undivided heart to the Lord and to His affairs (1 Corinthians 7:32). With celibacy, priests (and deacons in some cases), give themselves entirely to God’s family. In short, it frees the priest for his ministry so that he may focus on dispensing the “mysteries” of God (as St. Paul puts it) and bring Christ’s presence to all. Married priests would not eliminate child abuse, since the vast majority of those who abuse minors are married.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
The Diocese of Harrisburg provides assistance to anyone who as a minor was sexually abused by a priest, deacon, employee or volunteers of the diocese. Parents, guardians, children, and survivors of sexual abuse are invited and encouraged to call our private and confidential Youth Protection Hotline at 800-626-1608
The Diocese of Harrisburg is committed to assisting you in your pursuit of emotional and spiritual well-being.
The Diocese of Harrisburg provides assistance to anyone who as a minor was sexually abused by a priest, deacon, employee or volunteers of the diocese. Parents, guardians, children, and survivors of sexual abuse are invited and encouraged to call our private and confidential Youth Protection Hotline at 800-626-1608
The Diocese of Harrisburg is committed to assisting you in your pursuit of emotional and spiritual well-being.