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June 6, 2003/Sivan 6 5763, Vol. 55, No. 41
Mixed reactions
Sex abuse scandal troubles Valley rabbis
BARRY COHEN
Editor
In the days following the investigation of allegations of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, a number of Valley rabbis are expressing sadness and compassion both for the victims and for Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien.
However, some rabbis are criticizing the bishop for what they say is protecting the church over the needs of children.
A Maricopa County Grand Jury investigation revealed that O'Brien, during his years as Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, has failed to inform supervisors that priests with allegations of sexual misconduct had been transferred to their ministries, and has allowed priests with similar allegations to work with minors.
"Taking care of children is so critical," said Rabbi Bonnie Koppell of Temple Beth Sholom of Chandler. O'Brien did not tell the full truth about the sexual allegations surrounding priests under his authority and put children at risk, she said.
"There is no way to justify what he did," Koppell said.
The Catholic Church's primary concern should be to care for the welfare and safety of children, said Rabbi Mark Bisman of Har Zion Congregation in Scottsdale.
A 14-point agreement between the Maricopa County Attorney's office and the diocese to treat the victims of sexual abuse and prevent future abuse is to be commended, he added. The agreement, signed May 3, was released this week.
"I am glad to hear that the Diocese of Phoenix has reasserted its commitment to children," said Bisman.
Not only Catholics but also Jews and Protestants are struggling with those who commit sexual indiscretions, said Rabbi David Rebibo of Beth Joseph Congregation in Phoenix.
"I feel compassion for (the bishop) ... and feel pain for the victims," he added.
Bisman spoke of O'Brien's "sound character" and said he believes the bishop did not work to deceive his parishioners but to protect priests by maintaining due process within the Church.
"He has learned that sometimes the interest of the children outweigh due process," Bisman noted.
Koppell characterized O'Brien as "a good and caring person" but said he made poor decisions in order to protect the institution.
"No doubt, his intentions were noble, but look at the disastrous situation (they have) wrought," she added, referring to ongoing incidents of sexual abuse of children by priests who were transferred from parish to parish.
"Personally and profes-sionally, this must be a nightmare for O'Brien," said Rabbi Andrew Straus of Temple Emanuel of Tempe. "I hope and pray that this will lead to a process of self-examination and teshuvah (repentance)."
The diocese is now going through a cleansing process, said Rebibo.
"The first step of teshuvah is to admit what happened," he said. "Perhaps this generation is coming to grips with everything that in the past we were sweeping under the carpet."
However, none of the rabbis contacted said they were addressing the issue directly with their congregants.
"I have not thought about dealing with (the issue) in a public way," said Koppell. "I can preach all day long, but people will judge us (rabbis) and other clergy by our behavior."
It is very difficult to form opinions about the controversy from news-papers because there are not enough facts in hand to make judgments, noted Bisman. For this reason, he said, he is hesitant to make pronouncements from the pulpit about the con-troversy.
"When you point your finger at someone else, there are three fingers pointing back at you," said Rabbi William Berk of Temple Chai, citing a teaching of nationally known author and teacher Rabbi Harold Schulweis.
While there is "moral outrage" about how children have been abused, Berk said, he is hesitant to criticize the diocese when its leaders are going through a difficult time.
"However, I would cheer those in the Catholic Church who are insisting that these outrages end, that the victims are compensated and changes occur," he added.
Rabbis are mixed about whether the sex abuse scandal will cause members of the Jewish community to mistrust rabbis or doubt whether children will be safe within synagogues.
The church scandal "undermines public faith in clergy," said Koppell.
But Rebibo said he has no reason to believe that a significant number of clergy would be suspected of similar sexual misconduct.
"I would like to believe that all these incidents, whether among us Jews or Catholics, represent a few, isolated cases," he said.
This tragedy is a reminder for all clergy about how physical contact is perceived and interpreted, said Bisman.
"Anyone who deals with children, whether teachers or rabbis or anyone else, needs to show caution about any form of physical contact," he explained.
Many rabbis are self-conscious about how they interact with congregants, said Straus. He cited the example of never meeting with children behind closed doors.
"No one has accused us (of impropriety) because we have been pro-active," he added.
Contact the writer at barry_cohen@jewishaz.com.
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