Atlanta Archbishop Wilton Gregory was recently in Charlotte to celebrate Mass, and he took a few moments to comment on the upcoming release of "Spotlight," a movie retelling the story of how in 2002 the Boston Globe uncovered the problem of pervasive child sexual abuse among priests, a problem which had been kept hidden for decades in the U.S. Church.
Archbishop Gregory was president of the U.S. bishops' conference in 2002 when the scandal broke. He quickly became the face of the Catholic Church in America. He responded to the seismic eruption of the problem uncovered by the Globe – first with an apology to the victims and then with a resolute attitude that things were going to change.
"I spent my entire three years (as USCCB president) confronting the issue and dealing with the issue," he said to a brief press gathering Nov. 8.
"Spotlight" opens nationwide Friday, Nov. 20. Reviews, trailers and most of all advanced publicity from the film studio, including interviews with the director and stars of the film, coupled with knowledge of the story, makes it conceivable to comment on "Spotlight" before seeing it. But any comment needs to be accompanied by an apology to the victims. On behalf of the Diocese of Charlotte, Bishop Peter Jugis gave a very public apology shortly after he was installed as bishop, during a homily on Ash Wednesday 2004. I repeat that apology here and I urge any victim of sexual abuse anywhere to contact the authorities.
The archbishop said he hadn't seen the movie before his Charlotte visit, but his perception of the film is one of painful gratitude.
He said he recognizes the suffering of the victims while down-playing the pain inflicted upon the institutional Church. "While it may be very difficult for the institutional Church to watch it and go back, it is infinitely more painful to those who were harmed," he noted.
The Boston Globe quite rightly won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its work, and the movie "Spotlight" apparently tells a riveting tale of how a dogged team of reporters pursued the individual perpetrators and the institutional Church.
Great journalism not only wins prizes, it changes things for the better. If I have a quibble with the film it is that the movie ends long before the story does. The film concludes as the first story is being published. But what that story accomplished is astonishing, both here in the U.S. and around the world.
Since 2002, the Church has undertaken a litany of changes, some of which can be measured:
- The adoption of a zero-tolerance policy for Church workers who engage in sexual abuse, mandated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in the 2002 "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People."
- Independent research that examined data from a 52-year period (1950-2002) to determine the scope, the causes and the context of the problem of child sexual abuse in the U.S. Church. This led to significant changes in how future priests are selected, screened and trained in the seminary, as well as how parishes and schools operate every day.
- Annual independent audits that monitor each diocese's compliance to every provision of the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People."
In the Diocese of Charlotte, like others around the country, these changes have impacted every aspect of church life. Everyone who works for or volunteers at a church, school or ministry in the diocese must go through a criminal background check and take part in regular awareness training called "Protecting God's Children." Since 2002, 42,500 people have gone through this training and 51,000 background checks have been conducted.
In its annual report the diocese also details how much has been spent on training, payments to victims and attorneys fees. To date, $2.9 million has been paid. For the U.S. Church as a whole, that figure is $2.8 billion.
But what can't be measured is the awareness at all church locations and gatherings that we cannot let these abuses happen ever again, that we must all remain vigilant. If you have ever encountered the security processes at the Children's Track of the diocese's Eucharistic Congress, you know that adults have given a lot of thought to protecting the many children in their care.
Archbishop Gregory spoke with pride about his term as USCCB president during the turbulence of the Globe coverage: "I am very proud to say that the Catholic Church took appropriate, strong and direct action to address the issue. In the U.S. (we have) the Charter for the Protection of Children, the audits that take place in dioceses, the offices for outreach to victims and comfort to those who have been harmed."
"Spotlight" is a movie about children, but it is not a film for children. Its A-III and R ratings indicate the graphic seriousness of the subject matter.
That probably means lower ticket sales, but the frank statement the movie makes about the recent past of the Church is a reminder that the safety and well-being of children is more important than the reputation of an institution. All organizations that serve children can and must learn from the Church's painful experience.
David Hains is the communication director for the Diocese of Charlotte.