NCJ Number
146560
Journal
St. Anthony Messenger Volume: 101 Issue: 9 Dated: (February 1994) Pages: 28- 35
Date Published
1994
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article describes the efforts being made by the Catholic Church to confront clergy sexual abuse.
Abstract
The bishops' Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse is aiming to set up model policies for dioceses by the end of 1994 and to develop national resources to back up local bishops. In addition, the Church has implemented several programs to identify and treat abusive priests. The Servants of the Paracletes, first established to treat alcoholic priests, now accepts clergy sexual abusers into its program. The priests receive professional treatment at hospitals in nearby Albuquerque and spiritual counseling from their peers. Two of the priest-psychologists at Paracletes developed the Module, a 5-month program that incorporates medicine, psychology, and spiritual direction for priests with sexual disorders. The Church is also making efforts to reassign, treat, and monitor priests and some Church officials also support the implementation of sex abuse prevention courses in parochial schools.