By Barbara Dorris

Arrived in Rome in time to help with our first press event with media from around the world. Reporters from about 30 news organizations attended! They stayed for well over an hour listening to our concerns about the safety of children and how reckless it is to allow predator priests to live in unsuspecting communities.  The noted the woundedness of survivors and how devastating abuse by a priest is to each victim and to their family members.

One interesting question was:  “Isn’t it better to keep them as priests rather than defrocking them and allowing them to go out on their own?” While we agree that defrocking is not a magic cure we pointed out that the notion that church officials are monitoring the predators still on their payroll is a falacy.  We have learned that many predator priests “removed from ministry” still come and go as they please. While it sounds good in theory that if the predators remain “priests” church officials have some form of control. But the important part is “control.” To exercise appropriate “control” over predators they should live in independently-run secured facilities for the rest of their lives. Many if not most are permitted to be monitored by other priests and religious brothers who have little, if any training, in understanding or monitoring sex offenders. It amazes me that church officials seem to have so much difficulty in recognizing that the predators are dangerous criminals who may hurt more innocent children.
Wish I could tell you more. So many questions and so much activity here but I am exhausted. The jet lag from traveling across the Atlantic ocean is catching up to me and I will get some sleep now. More tomorrow.
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