Bishop Caggiano has received the email from Msgr. Laurence Bronkiewicz questioning the validity of the Accountability Report by Judge Holzberg. He is aware that Msgr. Bronkiewicz’s letter has also been widely distributed to others throughout the diocese.
The Bishop regrets Msgr. Bronkiewicz’s words, which will further wound victims of abuse and all those who have demanded a truthful and comprehensive account of the abuse crisis in the diocese.
To portray himself as a victim of the crisis when so many young people were abused and experienced lifelong trauma is at the very least dismissive of their suffering and their need for transparency and truth on the part of Church leaders. His remarks are both insensitive and inappropriate given the heinous crime of child sexual abuse and the Church’s past failure to respond to the crisis.
The Judge’s report draws from letters and other documents signed by Msgr. Bronkiewicz. They are a matter of public record and they speak for themselves.
The diocese stands by the October 1 Accountability Report after a year of independent investigation by Judge Robert Holzberg. The bishop has publicly accepted its conclusions and pledged to follow through on the Judge’s recommendations to further protect children and strengthen its Safe Environments program.
Though Msgr. Bronkiewicz’s remarks are a setback to the spirit of transparency and accountability achieved by the report, the diocese will not be deterred in its efforts going forward. The report is an invitation of all people of goodwill to move forward in the truth and to join together to protect children from the evils of abuse.
