In April I announced the formation of a special panel to review the policies and procedures of the Diocese of Camden for the protection of children.
This independent panel of ten individuals, Catholic and non-Catholic, has reviewed the Diocese’s policies and procedures and offered a range of recommendations to enhance them. I wholeheartedly accept these strong, carefully considered recommendations because they will protect children and build on existing policies which demand that sexual abuse is dealt with openly and promptly, with compassion and concern for victims, with justice and due process for offenders and with pastoral concern for all the faithful.
To the panel, I extend my profound thanks for your candor, dedication and thorough effort as you have worked to develop these recommendations. I also extend my gratitude to former Camden County Prosecutor, Edward Borden, who has ably headed the panel and given so generously of his time and expertise. I look forward to working with all people of the Church of Camden to fully implement these recommendations in this Diocese, along with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. As we do so, I pray that with God’s grace this may be a time of hope, healing, and reconciliation.