(RNS) — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops plans to vote Thursday (June 11) on revisions to its cornerstone document addressing the sexual abuse of minors, including new language that emphasizes “the presumption of innocence” for accused priests.
But a prominent archbishop pushed back during a Wednesday presentation of the proposed revisions, urging the conference to take more time to consult survivors and priests.
“ I am worried how the language presently in the draft will impact our known victims as well as our unknown victims,” said Archbishop Shawn McKnight of Kansas City, Kansas. “I’m also concerned about how our priests are going to respond.”
The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, commonly known as the Dallas Charter, is a set of policy commitments that the bishops created in 2002 as the church began to reckon with the full impact of the church’s sexual abuse crisis victimizing children. Since then, the document has been revised three times.
One of the flashpoints has been whether the charter should expand its scope to sexual abuse of adults in the church, too.
Richmond, Virginia, Bishop Barry Knestout, chair of the committee on the protection of children and young people, who gave a presentation on the revisions, said the committee holds the position that sexua …