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June 6, 2003/Sivan 6 5763, Vol. 55, No. 41
Failure of leadershipEditorialAn implicit contract of moral leadership exists between clergy and congregants. Clergy teach this contract in sanctuaries and classrooms and express it inside and outside houses of worship.Trusted representatives of the local Catholic Diocese, including Bishop Thomas O'Brien, have repeatedly broken this contract. A year-long sexual abuse investigation of the religious leaders under the Bishop's watch led to the indictment of a number of priests for various charges of sexual misconduct. As a result, County Attorney Richard Romley made a 14-point agreement with the bishop to change the culture of the Catholic Diocese and protect the children in its care. In the signed agreement, O'Brien asserted: "that priests who had allegations of sexual misconduct made against them were transferred to ministries without full disclosure to their supervisor or to the community in which they were assigned. I apologize and express regret for any misconduct, hardship, or harm caused to the victims of sexual misconduct by Roman Catholic priests assigned to the Diocese." Astonishingly, the day the agreement was made public, O'Brien reneged. He said at a press conference, "I certainly never intentionally placed a child in harm's way. To suggest a cover-up is just plain false. I did not oversee decades of wrongdoing." O'Brien clearly refuses to take responsibility for his failure to protect children entrusted to leaders under his supervision. As long as O'Brien, the "moral authority" of Catholics in Central and Northern Arizona, refuses to admit that his poor judgement placed children in harm's way, he will not allow the victims to heal. The Catholic Church is not alone. Rabbis as well break their contract with congregants. Rabbi Baruch Lanner of New Jersey recently was convicted of sexually abusing youths when he was the director of the National Council of Synagogue Youth. An investigation is now underway in New York, under rabbinic authority, of Rabbi Matis Weinberg, accused of making sexual advances towards his students at the Derech Etz Chaim, a Jerusalem yeshiva. Right here, right now, our Valley rabbis have an opportunity - in truth, an obligation - to lead our community to come to grips with these tragic failures of word and deed. It's time for them to speak out, expressing what Judaism teaches about the sacred relationship between teacher and student. They can assure us that our children are safe with lay teachers in the classroom and with clergy behind closed doors. They can ensure our community that they are doing everything they can to protect and maintain the sacred contracts they have vowed to uphold. |
