- Target:
- American Roman Catholics
- Region:
- United States of America
As Faithful Parishioners of the American Catholic Church, we want to grow in Faith in our Lord Jesus, to spread his Good News to others, and strengthen our Catholic Church for our children and their children.
Simply put, the recent reports of Church Sex Abuse cases, and the underreporting of such cases, are unacceptable. The only way to protect Christ’s Flock is openness and honesty. Any shortfall in this area will result in reduced credibility of the Bishops, and reduced credibility of our Church in the eyes of Parishoners, the General Public, and the Legal Authorities.
To draw people into Faith, we not only have to ensure their safety, but also to earn their trust. Therefore, we ask American Catholics to join the petition below which asks each American Catholic Bishop publicly certify, under penalty of perjury, that all known cases of abuse have been reported to the appropriate legal authorities.
To each Catholic Bishop in the United States:
We, the Faithful, ask you, as our episcopal Shepherd, to protect our flock, the people of God, from any and all sexual abuse. This is essential for all of us - - together as the Body of Christ - - to live out Jesus’ teaching to protect the most vulnerable.
Therefore, to (1) build confidence among the Faithful about the Church’s protection of the innocent and (2) clearly demonstrate to our wider community how seriously you take your responsibility to combat sexual abuse, we respectfully ask that, each calendar year, every Bishop individually certify to the public, under penalty of perjury, that to the best of your knowledge, information, and belief:
A.) all known allegations of sexual abuse against any Ordained Minister or other employee or agent of the Church have been reported to the applicable law enforcement agency; and
B.) all Ordained Ministers and other employees or agents of the Church against whom credible claims of sexual abuse have been received have been removed from public ministry (if ordained) or from public interactions (if not ordained).
Thank you for your work in safeguarding our children, the future of our Church, and for your efforts to rebuild the trust of the Faithful and the wider community.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The REQUEST FOR US CATHOLIC BISHOPS TO CERTIFY SEX ABUSE REPORTING petition to American Roman Catholics was written by Paul Lavallee and is in the category Religion at GoPetition.