When is an audit not an audit? When the people being audited are permitted to write the final copy.

[*5/23/05 - In its initial audit summary, the diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire reported that it had entered into 26 confidentiality agreements during 2003. Then, in the audit report that was apparently jointly written later by diocese officials and Gavin Group auditors, the number of confidentiality agreements was reduced to 0. Recently, the number given on the web site of the Conference of Catholic Bishops was changed back to 26. Although it's clear that the bishops' self-reporting is just a PR ploy, it is interesting to note that Church officials believe that audit results may be altered at any time without explanation.]

2/05

Update: It turns out that the dioceses did write at least part of the audit reports. Although we, along with crowds of reporters, missed the implications, the USCCB included the following statement on its introductory page:

2004 Annual Report on the Implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People

Executive Summaries

From July 26th through December 31, 2004, the Gavin Group of Boston, Massachusetts conducted audits of 194 Catholic dioceses and eparchies in the United States to determine compliance with the provisions of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The results of each audit are contained in an Executive Summary and a statement of Compliance. Some Summaries include "Additional Actions to Protect Children" (actions that go beyond what is required in the Charter) or "Supplemental Information" provided by the diocese or eparchy.

( http://www.usccb.org/ocyp/dioceses04/2004auditpreface.shtml )

However, since changes made to the final audit reports are not confined to the "Additional Actions" and "Supplemental Information" sections, we still don't know who actually authored the final versions of the executive summaries. (See below.)

More contrasts: Polishing the audit in the Manchester Diocese

Since the diocese of Manchester provided one of the few instances in which it is possible to compare the conclusions initially drawn by the auditors for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops with the final results issued on February 18, it is instructive to compare the original executive summary with the final draft.

If you contrast the original report with the final product, you'll see that the first version reads somewhat like a normal audit. The language is relatively neutral even if none of the information provided can be independently verified.

Note that the changes made in the second version go beyond the alteration of figures. More specifically, in the first version, the Archdiocese acknowledged that it had signed 26 confidentiality agreements during the audit period, while the second version states, ""The diocese has not entered into any confidentiality agreements during this period." But the second version also contains a series of paragraphs that reads much more like a press release than like an audit report.

We are trying to persuade Church officials to tell us who actually wrote the final copy. In the meantime, we can only ask the press and the public to consider whether the paragraphs pasted below seem to have been written by an outside group of auditors or if they seem to have been composed by sources within the Manchester diocese:

Additional Actions for the Protection of Children

Safe Environment Council/Safe Environment Coordinators

In December 2003, the Diocese announced the implementation of Promise to Protect, Pledge to Heal: The Protection of Children and Young People: Policy and Procedures (“Policy”), the revised policy of the Diocese on addressing sexual abuse of minors. The Policy was made effective March 19, 2004. Among other things, the Policy provided for the establishment of a Safe Environment Council and Safe Environment Coordinators in every diocesan parish and school to involve as many people as possible in the protection of children and young people in the Church in New Hampshire.

The Safe Environment Council

In February 2004, Bishop John B. McCormack appointed a Safe Environment Council to assist the Office of Ministerial Conduct in matters associated with the Promise to Protect, Pledge to Heal Policy. The Safe Environment Council consists of one representative from each of nine deaneries recommended by the Dean and appointed by the Bishop to a three year term. Among other duties, the Safe Environment Council works on the development of practical procedures to implement policies; participates in and conducts training for parishes in deaneries; assists in verifying that parishes within deaneries are fulfilling their responsibilities under the Policy; and assists the Office of Ministerial Conduct in identifying programs and initiatives that would further promote and ensure a safe environment in the Catholic Church in New Hampshire.

Seven of the nine members of the Safe Environment Council appointed by Bishop McCormack in 2004 are volunteers. Two of the members have backgrounds in law enforcement; three members are employed in the mental health field; several have experience in education; one is a Director of Religious Education; and the majority of members have experience working or volunteering in parishes and/or Catholic schools.

Safe Environment Coordinators

The Safe Environment Coordinator assists the diocesan parish or school in ensuring that the Policy is fully implemented in the parish or school. Among other duties, the Safe Environment Coordinator schedules sexual abuse awareness training sessions; distributes the Policy and Code of Conduct to all employees and volunteers; ensures that employees and volunteers have completed all applicable background screening and training requirements; and submits compliance reports to the Office for Ministerial Conduct.

During the months of May and June, orientation sessions were held in each of the nine deaneries for Safe Environment Coordinators. Safe Environment Council members conducted additional orientation sessions for those who were unable to be present at the scheduled sessions.

Although the Policy was not implemented until March 2004, all of the diocesan Catholic schools and nearly every parish have appointed Safe Environment Coordinators. Many of the Coordinators are volunteers.

There are many valuable benefits to the development of both the diocesan Safe Environment Council and the parish/Catholic school Safe Environment Coordinators. These include:

more effective implementation of the Policy and Code throughout the Diocese; broader and more effective ongoing consultation and collaboration with the laity; enhanced “buy in” by the laity in parishes and Catholic schools to making a commitment to a safe environment a permanent aspect of the Catholic culture in New Hampshire; greater ability to have persons who can speak to the magnitude and depth of the commitment of the Diocese to a safe environment culture; and

provision of an efficient and effective model for complementary collaboration between clergy and laity at the diocesan, parish, and Catholic school level.

Days of Wholeness and Spirituality for Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

On January 17, 2004, Joseph P. Naff, LICSW, Director, Office for Healing and Pastoral Care, hosted a Day of Wholeness and Spirituality for adult survivors of child sexual abuse. The retreat was held at a non-Church facility and was conducted by Paul Ashton, pastoral associate with experience in assisting survivors of child sexual abuse, and Gail Kennedy-Haines of Bridges (Sexual Assault Support Services). The day was designed to allow survivors to share, learn and explore with others who share a similar journey toward healing and wholeness and to strengthen their spirituality through discussion, activity, reflection, and mutual support.

Mr. Naff invited all those people who had reported to the Diocese, either recently or in the past, that they were sexually abused by clergy. With respect to those survivors who had made reports through their attorneys, Mr. Naff forwarded the invitations to the survivors through their legal counsel. Mr. Naff extended over 250 invitations to survivors, and twelve people attended the event, offered at no charge to participants.

The January Day of Wholeness and Spirituality was so successful and well received that Mr. Naff hosted a second retreat on June 5, 2004. Mr. Naff invited to this follow-up retreat all those who attended the January retreat, as well as other survivors who expressed an interest in attending. The retreat was held in the same location, and seven people attended. The focus of this retreat was on spirituality and wholeness and recovery from sexual abuse.

Because of the success of these retreats, Mr. Naff has scheduled a third retreat on February 12, 2005. He has invited all those people who have made reports to the Diocese, either recently or in the past, that they were sexually abused by clerics.

The goal of the pastoral ministry to adult survivors of child sexual abuse, especially to those abused by church personnel, is to assist them in seeking healing from the Lord in and from the Church. The ultimate goal is to ensure that every survivor is heard, assisted, and optimally provided a parish community in which they can continue their journey of faith with the Lord. The model developed in the Diocese of Manchester acknowledges the unique nature of the journey of each survivor while also recognizing the assistance that solidarity with other adult survivors and the wider Church provides them. Finally, the active presence of adult survivors in the life and ministry of the Church has already proven to be a treasured gift to all the Christian faithful in New Hampshire.

Bethany: A Place of Healing and New Life

Since 2003, Mr. Joseph P. Naff, LICSW has been responsible for the development and oversight of Bethany: A Place of Healing and New Life, a mutual help support group for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Bethany is offered in several locations throughout the Diocese of Manchester. In December 2003, the Diocese received a commendation for this initiative.

Mutual support is a key component in the effort to seek and find healing from the Lord. The Diocese seeks to provide a safe and confidential environment for facilitated discussion among adult survivors and persons who can assist them with pastoral and clinical expertise.

Outreach to Survivors of Abuse by Certain Religious Brothers and Survivors of Abuse Assisted by the Diocese in the Past

In 2003, seventeen people brought a lawsuit against Bishop Guertin High School, a non-diocesan Catholic school operated by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, alleging that they were sexually abused when they attended the school. Although the Diocese of Manchester was not involved in the lawsuits, in October 2003, Bishop John B. McCormack sent each of the plaintiffs a letter through their legal counsel, offering to meet with them and to take advantage of the services of the diocesan Office for Healing and Pastoral Care.

In addition, in December 2003, Bishop McCormack sent letters to all persons who had made reports to the Diocese that they had been sexually abused, whether they had made the reports recently or many years prior to implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. In his letter, Bishop McCormack extended an offer to meet and do what he could to assist them in their healing. He also extended an invitation to contact and take advantage of the services offered by Joseph P. Naff, LICSW, Director, Office for Healing and Pastoral Care.

This effort is part of the ongoing desire of Bishop McCormack to assume pastoral responsibility for any person who may have been harmed as a minor in New Hampshire, notwithstanding that the harm may have occurred years before his installation as Bishop of Manchester or that the harm may have occurred in the context of the ministry of a religious institute. This also provided an opportunity for substantive dialogue between Bishop McCormack’s delegate and the leadership of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart.

The suspicion that sources within the diocese actually wrote the final report is also confirmed by the explanation provided by Manchester officials for reducing the number of confidentiality agreements from 26 to 0. When questioned by Alan Cooperman of the Washington Post about the change of figures, Manchester officials said that they did not regard the agreements reached with survivors as true confidentiality agreements because they had promised not to go after survivors who subsequently chose to speak out.

The fact that Manchester was apparently permitted to define the term "confidentiality agreement" on its own without regard to the uniformity of the audit results provides significant insight into the level of control that individual dioceses were given over the content of the audit reports.

Since we don't even know who wrote the executive summaries published on February 18, we are appealing to the press and the public not to treat the Church's self-study as a genuine audit. After all, the IRS does not "commend" us for paying taxes. Let's not pretend that these audits are a reliable source of information about the magnitude of criminal activity within the Catholic Church.

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