NATION - religion various, United States

National Catholic Reporter, March 23, 2001 by Gill Donovan

Bridgeport diocese reaches sex abuse settlement

The Bridgeport, Conn., diocese has reached a financial settlement resolving allegations that diocesan priests committed sexual abuse for decades. "We acknowledge there were incidents of sexual abuse," Fr. Laurence R. Bronkiewicz, the diocese's chancellor and administrator, said in a statement March 8. "We certainly condemn the behavior. We take this opportunity to apologize to the victims of the abuse as well as their families."

The confidential agreement stemmed from more than 20 lawsuits filed by people who claimed they were sexually victimized by priests over a 30-year period beginning in the 1960s. The Bridgeport diocese sought to hide the abuse by moving priests to different parishes, lawyers for the victims claimed.

The suits named Cardinal Edward Egan of New York -- who served as bishop of Bridgeport before assuming the post in New York -- as part of the cover-up. "We felt the weight of evidence made it untenable for the diocese to continue to claim they did not know about it," said attorney Cindy Robinson.

Diocese officials, however, denied the existence of a cover-up, noting that a new policy intended to prevent a repeat of such incidents has been implemented. They declined to give specifics about what happened to priests named by the accusers but did say a policy of ensuring priests remain away from situations where they pose a threat "has been applied," the Associated Press reported.

Egan issued a statement supporting the agreement.

Graham relief agency accused of proselytizing

The humanitarian relief agency run by evangelist Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, is coming under fire for allegedly proselytizing in El Salvador while using government funds to build shelters for victims of the recent earthquake.

The New York Times reported that workers with Samaritan's Purse held prayer meetings before showing local residents how to build temporary shelters. The group has received $202,000 from the U.S. Agency for International Development for relief work in El Salvador.

Although federal officials did not say relief workers had linked their evangelism with their humanitarian work, the agency nonetheless had concerns about "significant religious/proselytizing purpose or content" and would fund only programs "which do not have the primary effect of advancing religion."

A statement issued by Samaritan's Purse said the money for the shelter project has been promised by USAID, but has yet to be delivered, meaning "not one nickel" of the money described was actually federal money.

Graham said his organization had a total budget last year of $135 million, and only $3.9 million came from USAID. The statement said no government money is ever "used to fund any of our direct Christian ministry, whether it be evangelism, Bibles and Christian literature or any other kind of spiritual program." What's more, Samaritan's Purse said it does not require the people it helps to participate in evangelizing programs.

Still, critics say this case demonstrates why President George W. Bush's plan to fund faith-based programs runs afoul of the constitutional separation of church and state. "What more proof do we need that our tax money is funding groups which are first and foremost religious, and devoted to recruitment?" said Ellen Johnson, president of American Atheists.

Security stepped up after vandalism at mission

Officials at historic Mission San Xavier del Bac near Tucson, Ariz., have decided to install motion-detecting floodlights and a seven-foot security gate following three separate acts of vandalism in one week in February. All the vandalism occurred in a mortuary chapel next to the world-renowned, 203-year-old mission, which is located on federal trust land owned by the Tucson diocese and surrounded by the Tohono O'odham Nation.

The first act -- discovered Feb. 13 -- included the desecration of 35 of the 50 statues located in the chapel as well as extensive spray painting. Early on Feb. 18, three more statues were discovered broken. Later that evening a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe was found covered in motor oil and smoldering.

The Tohono O'odham's Desert Diamond Casino has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the perpetrators. As of March 7, no arrest had been made.

The mortuary chapel was dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows in 1906 by Tucson Bishop Henry Granjon. Located just west of the church, the chapel was once used as a place where bodies were prepared for burial. For years, though, the small adobe structure has been used for individual prayer.

Bishop Manuel D. Moreno of Tucson was expected to rededicate the chapel after the vandalism has been repaired and short-term security, measures have been put into place.

Religiously active are more engaged in civic life

Religiously active people are more likely to be viewed as good citizens and have a more diverse circle of friends than their nonreligious neighbors, according to a new study by Harvard University. The survey of 3,000 people in 40 communities across the country found that people who are active in religious life are more likely to vote, give blood, be active in their communities, know and trust other people, and socialize with friends and neighbors.