http://www.sptimes.com/2007/01/28/Southpinellas/Church_s_woes_a_boon_.shtml 

 

Church's woes a boon for screeners

 Following its sex abuse scandal, the Catholic Church has become one of the biggest clients for background checks.

 

By SHERRI DAY
Published January 28, 2007

 

ST. PETE BEACH - Ralph Yanello never imagined his client roster would include the Catholic Church.

Yanello,a lawyer, runs a Web-based company in Walnut Creek, Calif., that trainscorporations on how to handle issues such as disabilities and sexualharassment. His clients include Microsoft, Cisco Systems and Lucas Film.

ButYanello has focused his company's future growth on training to preventthe kind of abuse by clergy that rocked Catholic congregations acrossAmerica five years ago. His company has developed software that wouldhelp churches do background checks on employees and volunteers who workwith children and allow diocesan officials to keep track of them.

Healso markets Internet courses that teach adults to recognize abuse andplans to create a game that instructs children to do the same.

"Ifyou said to me last year that something like this would happen, I wouldhave said, 'Am I on the same planet?'" said Yanello, who showed off hiswares last week in St. Pete Beach at a national meeting of clergy anddiocesan employees charged with implementing strict training andmonitoring standards in dioceses around the country. "It has opened oureyes to a much larger market."

Yanello's company is one of agrowing cadre of businesses that have begun marketing to the CatholicChurch as it seeks to regain credibility in the aftermath of a clergyabuse scandal that began roiling the American church in January 2002.The scandal erupted in the Archdiocese of Boston and spread to diocesesaround the country as people came forward with allegations of sexualabuse by members of the clergy. In many cases, the victims' confessionsrevealed that bishops knew about the abusers but allowed them to remainpriests.

It prompted widespread reforms in the American Catholic Church. Chief among them:

-Dioceses must report allegations of sexual abuse of minors to police.

-Priests or deacons found guilty of sexual abuse of a child must be permanently removed from ministry.

- A review board comprised primarily of nonclergy must exist to advise diocesan bishops on allegations of sexual abuse.

-Dioceses must offer aid to abuse victims and their families.

-Alldioceses must implement "Safe Environment" programs to train andmonitor staff and volunteers. Background screenings are mandatory forchurch and religious employees who supervise or come in frequentcontact with children.

The financial fallout for dioceses aroundthe country has been severe. Payouts to clergy abuse survivors hastopped $1-billion, sending at least three dioceses into bankruptcy andforcing others to sell assets.

The nearly 400,000-member Dioceseof St. Petersburg has paid about $900,000 to compensate 12 victimssince 2003, diocesan lawyer Joseph DiVito said.

The diocese has three sexual abuse claims pending, DiVito said. The incidents in question date back at least 15 years.

Dioceseofficials, however, would much rather look forward. Within the pastyear, the diocese has spent $500,000 to implement safe environmentprocedures and programs, including FBI background screens on allemployees and volunteers, DiVito said.

In his address at theNational Safe Environment Leadership Conference in St. Pete Beach lastweek, Bishop Gregory M. Aymond, head of the Diocese of Austin, calledon the workers to remain vigilant.

"What we are doing ispurifying the church and making it a stronger faith community," saidAymond, who also heads the national Committee for the Protection ofChildren and Young People. "It is much more acceptable these days totalk about sexual abuse. I'm sorry the church has to be a leader inthis, but we have been."

Aymond, conference attendees andsurvivors' self-help groups point to the Diocese of St. Petersburg andits bishop, the Rev. Robert N. Lynch, as trailblazers in training andaccountability. They cite Lynch's early embrace of the new rules, hisactive support of victims' healing groups and his willingness to hirequalified personnel to work with victims and staff.

The diocesehired Marti Zeitz as a full-time victim assistance coordinator in 2003.A mental health therapist, Zeitz guides victims to qualified sexualabuse therapists. The diocese picks up the tab for counseling.

Zeitzmeets with all victims whether their abuse occurred within the dioceseor not and has traveled to another state to meet with an alleged victimof Robert Schaeufele, a former priest who was sentenced to 30 years inprison for abusing three boys while he worked in the Tampa Bay area.

Lynch, through a spokeswoman, declined to discuss the clergy abuse issue.

"Hedoes not wish to comment because it was such a difficult time in thechurch, and he continues to pray for all those who are harmed and allthose who have been affected by it," DiVito said.

Religious scholars say the church has made great strides in improving training and abuse reporting guidelines.

"Frankly,the result of this is that Catholic Churches are probably the safestplace for children in the country today," said the Rev. Thomas J.Reese, a senior fellow at Georgetown University's Woodstock TheologicalCenter. "I'm not saying things are perfect, but they sure are a hell ofa lot better than they were in the past."

Still, there's work to be done.

"There'salways room for transparency, and there's always room for more reform,"said Jo Renee Formicola, a political science professor at Seton HallUniversity and co-author of the forthcoming book The Political, Socialand Economic Consequences of Catholic Sex Abuse.

While thechurch took a hit financially from the scandal, Mass attendance hasremained steady over the past five years with about one-third of alladult Catholics attending weekly, according to the Center for AppliedResearch in the Apostolate at Georgetown. But it is unclear ifattendance was bolstered by new Catholics or immigrants. Fearscollections would decline radically also were largely unfounded.

Andafter a multiyear decline, applications for seminarians are increasing.Already, the Diocese of St. Petersburg has received 14 this year, saidthe Rev. Len Plazewski, director of vocations.

He said heexpects that number could reach as high as 20, positioning the diocesefor the largest group of seminarians in its history.

"In somepeople's minds, the scandal is as strong today as it ever was,"Plazewski said. "But they're not going to let those things dissuadethem from following the Lord."

Pinellas Park lawyer JosephSaunders, who has represented nearly 100 clergy abuse victims, cheersthe improvements within the church. But he said he remains cautious.

"Peopleneed to keep their antennae up because I'm confident there are stillchild abusers out there in the priesthood," said Saunders, who attendsa Catholic church.

"That would be the biggest mistake forpeople to think that it's over or that everybody has come forward. Ithink most survivors will never come forward."

Times researcherCathy Wos contributed to this report, which includes information fromthe Associated Press. Sherri Day can be reached at 813 226-3405 or sday@sptimes.com

Fast Facts:

 

Scandal's roots

Theclergy sexual abuse scandal gained international attention when JohnGeoghan, a defrocked priest in the Archdiocese of Boston, went on trialin January 2002 for the molestation of a young boy. Geoghan wassentenced to nine to 10 years in prison. He had been accused ofmolesting 150 children. He died after an attack by another inmate.

 

National stats

Victims abused by clergy from 1950-2002: 10,667

Gender of victims: 81 percent male; 19 percent female

Age of victims: Largest group, 51 percent, was between 11 and 14

Number of accused priests: 4,392 or 4 percent of all active priests

 

Local screenings

Number of employees who underwent background screenings in the Diocese of St. Petersburg: 2,619

Number of volunteers screened: 1,000

Number ineligible for employment after screening: 160

Number left to screen: More than 5,000

Number of victims who have sought counseling in diocese: 42

Sources: John Jay College of Criminal Justice; Diocese of St. Petersburg

[Last modified January 28, 2007, 01:15:46]