The Association of United States Catholic Priests calls for due process for accused priests
The Association of United States Catholic Priests (AUSCP), a group with the self-described mission of providing a pastoral and collegial voice for priests, has a humble plea for the newly installed Pope Leo XIV: The Church needs to return to the practice of following Canon Law and respect the due process rights for priests accused of misconduct.
As this site has chronicled numerous times (1, 2 …), the ordeal which an accused priest has to endure is not only personally excruciating but also unnecessarily long and unwieldy. It is not uncommon for an accused priest's livelihood to remain in limbo for several years while his case plods along in needless bureaucracy and bloated Church administration.
The wrongdoing at hand
In its plea to Pope Leo as well as U.S. Catholic bishops, the group lists four major injustices that accused priests are facing today:
- The imposition of penalties before a priest has had the opportunity to even defend himself.
- Publishing the names of priests as 'accused' before substantial and verifiable evidence has been gathered and the investigation completed, including the naming of deceased priests who are unable to defend themselves.
- Continued freezing of priests from their ministry for long periods of time even when there is lack of credible evidence.
- Prolonged and opaque Vatican processes that can take years to reach a decision.
And the solution, according to the AUSCP, is quite simple: The Church merely needs to follow long-established Canon Law, which already has a process for accused priests in place. For example, Canon 1321 clearly states that not only is a priest "considered innocent until the contrary is proved," but that "no one can be punished" until guilt is established. Meanwhile, contrary to Canon 1321, bishops very often remove accused priests from ministry in a very public fashion even over the mere whiff of misconduct. The AUSCP explains:
"Strict adherence to Canons 1321, 1341, and 1362 is essential to preserving the integrity of the investigative process and restoring trust among the clergy that they are supported and valued by their bishops and the church. The embracement of due process, presumption of innocence, and the right to a good reputation is foundational to the achievement of justice. Equally true is an investigation completed swiftly and competently, thus affirming the legal maxim, 'justice delayed is justice denied,' which is applies to both the accuser and the accused."
Although this site does not support many of the positions of the AUSCP – for example, it has in essence called for the ordination of women – we salute the group's valiant efforts to address this badly broken system of justice when it comes to accused priests and allegations of misconduct. We wish them the very best in this important endeavor.
Documents from the AUSCP, all from this month:
- Letter to Pope Leo (pdf)
- Letter to U.S. Bishops (pdf)
- Press release (pdf)
- Position paper: "Moving Toward Restoring Justice For Priests" (pdf)
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Want to learn about the rampancy of false accusations against priests?:
- "The Great Shakedown Keeps A-Rollin': Phony Claims Continue at Epic Pace, Here Are The Facts" (January 2024)
- The Greatest Fraud Never Told: False Accusations, Phony Grand Jury Reports, and the Assault on the Catholic Church (Amazon.com)
there are 2 sides to this story. As an administrative assistant to a U.S. Bishop for over 30 years, and an advisor to the diocesan review board, I have never known a priest who was falsely accused. You should always endeavor to tell the entire story, if you know the truth. As for the "livelihood" of accused priests being in limbo – canon law requires that the church continue to provide sustenance (room/board/salary/pension) to priests who are suspended for as long as they live. They are also free to get a job just like everyone else.
If you are who claim to be (“an administrative assistant to a U.S. Bishop for over 30 years”) – and I’m not conviced of this - then:
1. You are nuts in believing that a priest has never been falsely accused. In fact, in addition to the numerous stories on this site and in the news, the Church’s own data outright proves that false accusations are rampant: https://www.themediareport.com/2024/01/05/false-accusations-catholic-priests-facts/ Also, from this year’s audit report:
2. Being “suspended” is indeed a punishment – and against Canon law 1321.
3. You are part of the problem with the Church today.
Good morning, Anne,
Your experience is intriguing and somewhat unique, especially considering that even secular media increasingly report cases of false accusations against Catholic priests and clergy. Perhaps you meant that you personally have not encountered any priests who were falsely accused, or that your Diocese has not had any accusations—whether accurate or false—in the past 30 years. It would be interesting to learn more about your Diocese, but I understand if privacy and confidentiality concerns prevent sharing such details.
Regarding the livelihood of those accused—whether priests or others—it is not as simple as finding a new job. Reintegrating into the workforce can be extremely challenging, particularly when explaining the circumstances behind their unemployment during interviews. I believe our friend Dan would agree with this perspective, at least in this context.
Wishing you a blessed day!
Sorry Dave, I guess if it doesn't fit your propaganda machine, that there are several valid accusations, and many more than are false, then out come your horns! The church is full of liars and deniers, so how can we trust their false graphs!?! Maybe you can find a donkey hat to disguise those horns!
Hello Dan,
Glad to see that you are still well.
Regarding your post, interesting points you make:
Propaganda = from the Latin “pro-pagare”, meaning “to spread”, “to make known”. In a way, that’s exactly what TMR is doing, making widely known what many already know, i.e., that the justice system has for too many years accepted all accusations against catholic priests at face value without due diligence, that the Media has been allowed to vilified with impunity, and that the Church has sometimes not protected enough her priests, until actual guilt is established beyond reasonable doubt.
“several valid accusations, and many more than are false” = mathematically, not really. As the numbers show, the percentage of valid accusations varies from about half to less than one in 10. If we look at the numbers, we are talking about 22 substantiated accusations in 5 years, out of 125, fewer than 1 in 5. Overall, very few cases, compared to the over 37,000 US Catholic priests. This is not a reason to excuse the guilty ones – they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But too much white noise doesn’t help anyone, especially the real victims and the law agencies.
“The church is full of liars and deniers" = the Church founded by Jesus is perfect (Matthew 16:18), her flock is not, and everyone (yup, presents included) is a sinner. That doesn’t mean that TMR numbers and graphs are incorrect, my dyscalculic brother…
Have a blessed day!
We don't need you to educate us on the meaning of propaganda, and you know exactly what I mean by your ''propaganda machine''. Spreading inaccurate facts in order to justify your lies, false information and deceit. Belonging to a religion plagued with deceiving clergy, all they have to do is deny involvement and it becomes their word against the victims. Our society has been brainwashed and siding with so-called holy people, so their lies are accepted over the truth of the victim in too many cases. I was a math major so there is no need for your backhanded comments. Your church can not be trusted whatsoever when it comes to their coverup of child molesting clergy. Do the math and there is zero trust in any of there excuses or graphs that they may make up to promote their lies and deceptions. I even researched bishops to find there was over 100 guilty as child molesters and a Cardinal that sexually abused over 2,000 boys. Explain away that math, brother from a different mother and most definitely not of my Father, the True One I worship. servant of the Lord
Hello Dan,
I'm disappointed to see you continue relying on the same tired arguments that have already been addressed. It would be refreshing, for once, to see you engage with a new or thoughtful rebuttal.
The original topic was AUSCP’s call for adherence to existing Canon Law procedures when dealing with accused clergy. Notably, Canon Law—much like its secular counterpart—presumes the accused to be innocent until proven guilty, and prohibits punishment until guilt is established.
Given that you've claimed to have experienced a similar situation, I was hoping you’d offer a meaningful perspective—either supporting or challenging AUSCP’s proposal. Instead, you chose to focus on the ratio of minor to substantiated accusations based on TMR’s feedback to Anne. In doing so, you demonstrated some shaky math skills (honestly, I hope you kept the receipt for that math degree).
You also used 143 out of 191 words (yes, more math—hopefully calculating the percentage won’t be too much of a stretch) in your follow-up post to make wild, conspiratorial claims that have already been debunked. They’re not worth rehashing.
The only part that stood out as potentially valuable was your claim of having conducted research with interesting findings. Can you share any sources to support those numbers?
Lastly, I find the phrase “brother from a different mother” offensive to my earthly (and heavenly) parents. I understand that’s not the common interpretation, but I’d appreciate it if you avoided using it in the future.
Have a blessed week in fire-battered California, brother.
Likewise, I am terribly insulted by your blatant hypocrisy, calling me your brother as you consistently attack the truthful things I say. And when you're not doing that your insulting beautiful California, as if that's supposed to bother me. The fact you don't live here even adds to it's beauty. I live in beautiful mountains 1 hour from Lake Tahoe, some of the best skiing in the world. Visit Yosemite often and live 1 block away from a pristine small lake. Feel sorry for you and all your insults. Servant of Christ
Dan,
To paraphrase LS: Impressive—every single point in your post was incorrect.
I had to reread my original message just to make sure I hadn't misstated anything. It’s honestly remarkable (though not unexpected) how thoroughly you misunderstood my words—possibly even willfully—and took offense where none was intended. That kind of reaction suggests a very cynical attitude.
Let me clarify a few things:
My original comment was simply pointing out that, given your claimed experience, you could have added real insight to this discussion. Instead, you chose to revisit the same old tired criticisms of God’s Church.
I also asked for sources behind your accusations. I have a good idea where those numbers may have come from, and if I’m right, they’re easily explained. But, as usual, you didn’t address that part in your reply.
As your brother, I feel obligated to challenge flawed reasoning when I see it, which is why I point out the weaknesses in your arguments.
For the record, nothing you say offends me. Your barbs are more amusing than anything—your tone is childish, your sarcasm ineffective. I only asked that you not involve others in our back-and-forth.
I never insulted California. I merely mentioned the wildfires that have increasingly impacted the state. I know California well, including the places you brought up. It's not my favorite, but it's still a beautiful place.
So, unless you’re actually interested in contributing something constructive for once, I’ll leave it here.
Have a blessed week, brother.
Some of us, like Anne possibly, delight in telling the truth. You may want to give that a try sometime, for God sees and hears ALL! Don't know why that was removed from my previous comment?
Good that Anne and Dan are free to make comments on this controversial topic. But can't understand why they hide their full names?…. if they are so committed to truth?.
Having the courage of their convictions may be the words I am looking for? For myself I stand with Dave, and his effort to reveal this greatest fraud never told. And say that based on my many years as an auditor, and what it taught me about human nature.
Malcolm Harris.
Malcolm, With all the false lies and slander I've experienced from your cult, you think I'm stupid enough to post my last name? Was that you or the peoples clown that said they would like to call the cops on me. This servant of the Almighty is not as dumb as you Catholics would like to believe. Why not question LLC or Publion or peoples clown for not using their real full name, one sided catholic hypocrite? Stick with your kangaroo court!
Malcom,
On this point, I agree with Brother Dan (without the schoolyard language…). Unfortunately, in other forums, I had an eye-opening experience where some participants were able to determine my location just from my full name. In today’s world, that’s not a comforting thought, so I prefer to continue using a pseudonym for now.
Have a blessed week, brother.