Bishop Paul Andre Durocher 

Pastoral Letter: One year into the Public Inquiry - February 2007

(from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall website)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Cornwall Inquiry was initiated by the provincial government to foster clarity, healing and growth for victims, communities and institutions in our area as we deal with the painful reality of child sexual abuse. A year ago this month, experts started giving contextual advice. Institutional representatives were then called to present their structures, policies and history. During the fall, witnesses started giving their testimony. It seems the Inquiry will last at least another year. Perhaps this is a good time for us as a Christian community to take stock.

Under my leadership, the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall has sought from the beginning to be an active, positive participant in this process. The Diocese was a central player in the controversial history which has marked our area: it is essential that, as a Christian community, we confront our past, learn from it, heal past hurts and prevent future ones.

The first phase of this Inquiry will eventually conclude with the Commissioner's publication of findings and recommendations. I look forward to receiving this report, as we all should, so that we can improve on the work we are already doing in the field of screening, prevention, response and care that are now an essential part of the Church's ministry.

The Inquiry is simultaneously proceeding with a second phase which is working in the background to propose strategies for personal and community healing. I have committed the diocese to participating in every way it can with this second phase. Whatever we can do to foster reconciliation, community harmony and personal security must and will be done.

As individual Catholics, what can we do to foster the success of this Inquiry?

First, we can pray for the people involved, particularly the victims and their families. They stand in need of care, understanding and compassion. We can also pray for those whose reputations have been harmed by groundless allegations.

Second, we can humbly recognize the fact that some young people were indeed sexually abused by priests of our diocese. Two criminal trials in the past have led to convictions and sentencing of priests. I apologize again to the victims and their families, praying for their well-being and peace of mind. We must not diminish the suffering these people endured, nor make light of their personal struggles.

Third, we can be patient and withhold judgment until the Commissioner's report is published. The Inquiry is a complex process. It will take some time before the whole picture becomes clear. To form one's opinion on a single piece of information gleaned from the media would be counter-productive to the whole process and diminish our hope of attaining clarity and healing in the community. Let us therefore exercise patience during this lengthy process.

Finally, we can keep our hearts fixed on the source of our hope: our Lord Jesus-Christ. Saint Paul said that we hold a treasure in earthen vessels. We must remember that the ultimate wealth of the Church lies in the Good News it is called to share with all. Our hope is founded on God's grace, our wisdom rests in the words of Jesus, our strength lies in God's own Spirit. The Cornwall Inquiry forces us to confront our human fragility as vessels of the Good News. Hopefully, this process will help us all become "wounded healers." As we move into the third season of Parish Alive, whose theme is "God's Word, a Word of Life," let us focus on the treasure which is ours.

I commend myself to your prayers as I try to lead our local Church through this difficult and sometimes painful process with wisdom, grace and courage. May the Paschal mystery we will celebrate in a few weeks remind us that, beyond Calvary, Easter promises life and joy in abundance.

Yours in Christ,

† Paul-André Durocher
Bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall