FAQ: Bishops' Conference on Sexual Abuse

What the bishops' conference is, what it was asked to accomplish, and how the prelates voted.

Lay Opinion
What do Catholic laypeople and others hope the bishops will do in Dallas?

Of course, that depends on whom you ask. The wish list is long and varied, with suggestions ranging from a televised penitential prayer to an investigation of homosexuality in the priesthood.

The Ad Hoc Committee issued its recommendations on Tuesday. It said that most priests who have abused minors should be defrocked, any allegation of sexual abuse of minors should be given to civil authorities and the church should provide counseling to abuse victims. The proposal leaves open the possibility that priests guilty of a single, long-ago case of abuse could continue in some kind of ministry.

Many other individuals and groups, Catholic and otherwise, have offered suggestions for what the bishops should do. Here is a sampling:

Apologize and reach out to the victims

Automatically pass accusations along to civil authorities

Address homosexuality in the church

Take a stand against dissent in the church

Open the church management to laypeople

Make a public act of repentance during a televised prayer service

Defrock priests who fail to report abuse and rescind their pensions

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Protests
Will there be groups in Dallas protesting or commenting on the conference?

Leaders of several groups, including Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), Call to Action, Catholics for Free Choice, and Voice of the Faithful have said they plan to be in Dallas while the conference is going on. Events planned include a panel discussion about sexually predatory priests and a march to the hotel where the bishops will be meeting. A Texas atheist group, Metroplex Atheists, will also hold a demonstration outside the meeting to protest Catholic officials' handling of the current crisis.

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The Future
What will happen after the conference?
Individual bishops will be free to implement any policy agreed on in Dallas immediately in their own dioceses.
Individual bishops will be free to implement any policy agreed on in Dallas immediately in their own dioceses.

Any policy approved by the bishops will be sent to the Vatican for evaluation by several standing committees. Because the American Catholic leaders heard from the pope and other Vatican authorities in April, many Catholic experts say that the official evaluation is likely to be rapid.

How much will the scandal cost the American church?

Some reports say the settlements could top $1 billion.

Is this just an American problem?

Is this just an American problem?

No. Pedophilia scandals have hit the Catholic Church in Canada, Australia, Ireland, Britain, France, Germany, Mexico, and Poland. However, the phenomenon has gained far more attention in America. Non-Catholic churches and other faiths have also confronted this problem.

Catholics in the U.S.
How many Catholics and Catholic leaders are there in the U.S.?

There are well over 63 million Catholics, making up about 23% of the U.S. population. There are 13 cardinals, 402 bishops, 46,041 priests, 4,917 seminarians, 5,565 brothers, and 79,462 sisters.

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FAQ: Bishops' Conference on Sexual Abuse

What the bishops' conference is, what it was asked to accomplish, and how the prelates voted.

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