Resources
Documents, articles, and links to help you stay informed and engaged.
CCOC Public Documents
- CCOC Progress Report commemorating the Third Anniversary of the Release of the PA Grand Jury Report, November, 2021
- CCOC Progress Report and Infographic on the Second Anniversary of the Release of the PA Grand Jury Report, August, 2020
- Notes from Gathering of CCOC Members in January, 2020
- CCOC’s Public Statement on the First Anniversary of the Release of the PA Grand Jury Report, August 2019
- CCOC’s Definition of Clericalism
- Introductory Flyer to CCOC
- Letter from CCOC to Bishop Zubik (February 2019)
General Resources
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The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has a web page of resources related to “Child and Youth Protection” (including a link to the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People”):
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/child-and-youth-protection/index.cfm -
America magazine has a collection of links to articles on the sexual abuse crisis:
americamagazine.org — Church sex abuse crisis: what you need to know -
America has also sponsored a series of twelve podcasts called “Deliver Us” on various topics related to the crisis:
americamagazine.org/deliverus
History of the Sexual Abuse Crisis
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The following video of a panel sponsored by Lumen Christi Institute in Chicago includes a helpful brief summary of the history of the crisis in the U.S. by Kim Daniels:
Lumen Christi Institute: Catholic Church in Crisis Panel Discussion -
“What caused the crisis? Key findings of the John Jay College study on clergy sexual abuse,” by Kathleen McChesney, America magazine, 6 June 2011:
americamagazine.org — What caused the crisis?
The Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report
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Report and related materials on the PA attorney general’s website:
attorneygeneral.gov/report/ -
Peter Steinfels wrote an important critique of the Pennsylvania grand jury report for Commonweal:
commonwealmagazine.org — PA Grand Jury Report: Not What It Seems
Perspectives on Reform
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“Confronting a Moral Catastrophe: Lay Leadership, Catholic Social Teaching, and the Sexual Abuse Crisis”. Georgetown University Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life. Video of 25 September 2018 event:
Georgetown: Confronting a Moral Catastrophe -
FutureChurch seeks “changes that will provide all Roman Catholics the opportunity to participate fully in Church life and leadership.” Among the many resources on their website is the 2019 teleconference series: “Power to the People: From Clericalism to Collaboration.”
FutureChurch: Power to the People teleconference series -
Leadership Roundtable is an “organization of laity, religious, and clergy working together to promote best practices and accountability in the management, finances, communications, and human resources development of the Catholic Church in the U.S., including greater incorporation of the expertise of the laity.”
Leadership Roundtable resources on abuse and leadership crisis -
The Movement to Restore Trust is a group of Catholics based in Buffalo, NY, who seek to “assert the laity’s rightful role in the Church and to help lead a movement to restore trust and confidence in the Church.”
movementtorestoretrust.org -
The Movement to Restore Trust released a 58-page report titled, “The Initial Reports of the Movement to Restore Trust Working Groups”:
movementtorestoretrust.org — Initial Reports -
Voice of the Faithful is a lay organization of Catholics organized in 2002. They seek to “provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit, through which the faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church.”
votf.org
Liturgy & Prayer
- “Prayer for Angry Catholics” by James Martin, S.J., America magazine, 6 June 2012.
Resources Related to Committees
Supporting Abuse Victims/Survivors and Their Families
Did you know?
- Trauma can be genetically transmitted
- The science of Epigenetics teaches that toxic stress changes the way DNA is expressed
- Trauma will be the health crisis of the 21st century
- The body remembers trauma and creates significant health issues
- The hope is in the resilience of the survivor, learning new responses to historical tragedy and our support of this process
When the institutional church and some of the faithful minimalize the trauma of survivors, or are convinced it is in the past, further harm occurs. Let’s take a few minutes to better understand the impact of sexual abuse. With permission from the nonprofit organization WQED, watch this documentary to learn the long-term effects of abuse:
Financial Transparency
Addressing Clericalism
- BridgeDialogues — resources for parish dialogue about clericalism
- “To Serve the People of God: Renewing the Conversation on Priesthood and Ministry” (Boston College)
- Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis: Lay Advisory Board development
- “Can laypeople lead a parish? Look to Louisville for a thriving example” (National Catholic Reporter, July 2019)
Lay Oversight of Diocesan Functions
Strengthening and Diversifying Clergy
Pathways for Lay Leadership
- Code of Canon Law (Vatican) — see especially Books II/I/I (Cann. 208–223) and II/I/II (Cann. 224–231)
- “How Catholics Can Realize the Royal Priesthood of the Laity and Rebuild a Church in Crisis” (Fr. Michael Sweeney, OP, Lumen Christi Institute, November 2018)
- “Lay Leadership for a Wounded Church and Divided Nation” (Georgetown, June 2019)