America's Roman Catholic bishops released the new draft of their sex abuse policy Monday, a plan that still would get molesters away from children -- though victims say the process is cumbersome and secretive.
Worked out in talks with the Vatican last week, U.S. bishops will vote on the changes at their Nov. 11-14 meeting in Washington. If approved, which seems likely, the text will then go to the Vatican for final review. After that, the rules would be binding for all U.S. bishops and dioceses.
The most significant changes involve the process after a priest is accused. That includes church tribunals to hear the cases of clerics who maintain their innocence and preliminary investigations that bishops will conduct privately.
The rewrite affects only rules that involve church law, leaving intact many aspects of the bishops' policy -- or "charter" -- approved last June in Dallas.
The new plan won immediate praise from the Rev. Robert J. Silva, president of the Chicago-based National Federation of Priests' Councils, which represents 27,000 of the nation's 46,000 clergy.
But David Clohessy, director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said the changes "will enable abusive priests to remain in ministry, and unidentified, longer."
In the June version, when a "credible allegation" was made, the priest was temporarily removed from his ministry, followed by an investigation. If guilt was admitted or established, the priest was removed permanently from church work -- saying Mass, teaching at a Catholic school, even wearing a Roman collar.
Under the rewrite, an allegation triggers a "preliminary investigation," during which the priest remains in place and his reputation is protected, apparently meaning parishioners are not notified about the accusation.
If "sufficient evidence" of abuse is uncovered, the Vatican would immediately be informed and the priest would be placed on administrative leave.
As before, the U.S. bishops agree to review these rules two years after the Vatican gives final approval.