‘A CULTURE OF SILENCE’
Bishop of Calgary, William T. McGrattan addresses a news conference at the Catholic Pastoral Centre on Wednesday on protecting minors from sexual abuse, in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct involving a Calgary priest.
As Calgary’s Catholic bishop outlined steps being taken to prevent sexual abuse Wednesday, officials said the diocese is facing allegations of sexual misconduct involving a Calgary priest.
According to the diocese, the allegations involving a minor and an adult stem from the priest’s time at a Vancouver parish. The priest has been suspended in Calgary as the investigation in Vancouver takes place.
Bishop William McGrattan said the allegations were announced in parishes in Vancouver, Edmonton and three in Calgary over the weekend. The comments came during a news conference to discuss measures the diocese is taking to prevent sexual abuse, following up with a document released last week by the Conference of Canadian Catholic Bishops.
McGrattan said the diocese wants to embrace the new protocols in that document.
“The message that I want to say is what we, the Canadian bishops, have stated in this document: that this should never have occurred, and that we are profoundly sorry and apologize to the victims and the families who have experienced such trauma,” he said.
“I want to state categorically that I am committed to making sure that every child and every vulnerable adult is safe in our diocese.”
McGrattan said that commitment will call for a greater accountability and transparency.
“We need to move away from a culture of silence,” he said.
The bishop said the Calgary diocese will update its policies and make sure the protection of minors and vulnerable adults is a priority.
Tim Boyle, the bishop’s delegate, said in addition to the current case, Calgary has seen one conviction of a priest in the diocese and is dealing with three historic cases involving priests who have died. Boyle said the diocese has asked any members of the parishes where the suspended Calgary priest served who had any inappropriate encounters with him to come forward.
“Should anyone come forward, we have a very robust procedure of investigation and reporting,” Boyle said.
The alleged Vancouver incidents took place between 1998 and 2003. McGrattan said the complainants have been encouraged to go to police, but at this point have chosen not to.
“He asked one of the victims to sit on his lap,” Chancellor Reverend Joseph Thoai Le of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver said Wednesday. “Because someone was sitting on your lap, maybe there was some holding or touching involved. That was the nature of the allegation on the part of the victim. She said it involved some kissing, too.”
The second allegation came from a woman who said “he was holding onto her hand, and kissed her hand.”
He says the two women made the allegations individually.
“The second one actually didn’t come forward,” said Le. “I heard about her from the first one, and I contacted the second one and asked whether the allegation was true or not, and she told me it happened.”
The woman who made the initial complaint thinks she was a minor.
“According to the victim she was a minor at that moment, but according to the priest maybe she was already 19 years old,” said Le. “This happened many years ago, so the recollection was a little bit vague.”
In spite of the allegations, Le said police have not been contacted, so no charges have been filed.
“The victim is now an adult,” said Le. “She doesn’t want to pursue it. She had been advised of the right to go to the police, but she refused. Both of them (refused).”
Le said the women were offered counselling, but declined.
“They even advocated for the man not to be punished further. … They don’t want the man to be punished further, other than being removed from his post.”
Postmedia Calgary has chosen not to identify the priest because he has not been criminally charged.
Patricia Jones, CEO of Catholic Family Service and chair of a sexual misconduct committee formed by the diocese, said a hotline was established in August along with a campaign encouraging people to report misconduct and sex abuse.
Through the hotline, Jones said she has received “about two to three calls a week. Many of these calls are from folks with historic cases of abuse — seniors who are trying to process the experience and just have a need to be heard,” she said.
Boyle said the average age of people who report to the church alleged abuse that they experienced as children is adults in their 50s.
“Just think about how long they ’ve kept this wound concealed from everyone, and the damage that that buried wound has caused to them,” he said.
The first recommendation outlined in the 184-page national document released last week, titled “Protecting Minors from Sexual Abuse: A Call to the Catholic Faithful in Canada for Healing, Reconciliation, and Transformation,” is to ensure that victims coming forward for the first time are received in a “non-judgmental pastoral encounter where they are welcomed and commended for their courage.”
It also calls for bishops to be well-informed on the nature and effects of sexual abuse, to implement reporting mechanisms and ensure they are easy to understand, accessible and clearly publicized, to implement a clear process for responding to allegations in a timely manner, and to ensure all pastoral staff receive safe environment training, including how to recognize the signs of abuse.
The document also calls on bishops across the country to implement safe recruiting procedures for all pastoral staff and volunteers, and adequate procedures for screening candidates for ministry.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary stretches across southern Alberta and includes 68 parishes.