Journal: Bishops Not Responsible for Abuse

ROME (AP) - Roman Catholic bishops should avoid telling congregations their parish priests sexually abused someone if the bishops believe the priests will not abuse again, a canon lawyer at the Vatican said.

The Rev. Gianfranco Ghirlanda also said in an article published Saturday that church leaders have no legal or moral responsibilities if such abuse does occur.

The Vatican appeals court judge insisted church leaders must protect the ``good name'' of their priests and only a guilty cleric truly is responsible for his actions.

``From a canon law perspective, the bishop and the superior are neither morally nor judicially responsible for the acts committed by one of their clergy,'' said Ghirlanda, dean of canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

The article is in the influential Jesuit magazine Civilta Cattolica, which often reflects Vatican thinking.

David Clohessy, national director of the Chicago-based Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, said he found it disturbing that the article appeared to be contradicting Pope John Paul II's statement at last month's Vatican summit on sex abuse.

``It seems like the pope was very clear last month: there's no place in the ministry for these men - none - and it's a crime,'' Clohessy said. ``Ever since, we've seen church leaders hemming and hawing and making exceptions.''

The Vatican is struggling to deal with worldwide allegations of sexual abuse by priests.

Ghirlanda argued that a priest whose past acts of abuse were revealed to his congregation ``would be totally discredited in front of his parochial community and in fact would be blocked from any effective pastoral action.''

``If the bishop fears the priest could again commit a crime, then he must not entrust to the priest a parish, but must act in a different way.''

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