WINDSOR - Chatham, Ont.-based Crown Attorney Paul Bailey calls it an “absolutely courageous and unprecedented action.”
Bailey was referring to the decision by Bishop Ronald Fabbro of the diocese of London to offer a major apology to the 47 women who were victims of sexual abuse by now-deceased diocesan priest Fr Charles Sylvestre.
In one of the largest sexual abuse cases of its kind, Sylvestre pleaded guilty in 2006 to the abuse, which took place against the girls, often within parish buildings in various communities where the priest was based, between 1954 and 1990. An ailing Sylvestre was sentenced to jail at age 84 and died in prison.
Following the 2006 plea Bailey read in court a letter from Fabbro containing the apology and indicating the bishop would give a special homily at Chatham’s St. Ursula parish a few days later. During that homily Fabbro formally apologized to the victims “for the abuse they endured at the hands of Fr. Sylvestre.... as well for the failure of the church to protect the victims and their families.” The bishop called the abuse “a scourge” in the diocese and demanded it “must be ended.”
Bailey, upon the release in November of his book, From Isolation to Action: Child Sexual Abuse by Clergy, a publication about the case and which contains the homily, said “I don’t know this from speaking to him. But I have a very strong feeling that the action Bishop Fabbro took was not without risk to him. Because there was a lot of resistance within the larger church to not deal with this problem openly.”
From Isolation to Action will certainly be of interest to anyone interested in this extraordinary case. But it’s particularly useful for professionals, like police, social workers or clergy, who may want to obtain a better understanding of how the case unfolded and the way various institutions, such as the justice system and the church, came to address it. Indeed the book has been sent to bishops across the country.
Issued by the organization of the same name, From Isolation to Action (FITA), that brought various parts of the community together over the abuse cases, the book serves as a guide to help prevent similar incidents and, if they arise, advise on the type of approaches that can be taken to understand victims and provide assistance.
Fabbro’s apology came after the criminal case finished. Civil lawsuits against the diocese continue.
The Crown had approached the diocese of London to obtain a commitment to redress the abuse beyond a previous and rather perfunctory general apology, which Bailey said had not sat well with victims.
“In fact, many of them were offended by the obliqueness of that form of apology and they demanded a direct, meaningful and timely apology,” he said.
Bailey said his office also acted out of a mandate to prevent sexual abuse. This meant “partnering” with those in the community such as social workers and sexual abuse centres. But what made this “truly novel,” he said, “was to be able to partner with the church itself.” Bailey doesn’t think that would have happened had there not been a bishop who was “not part of the problem,” and “had not been enlightened.”
Bailey said Fabbro had read all the literature about the case and had met with victims. “He understood the dynamics of sexual abuse. He truly wanted to prevent it from happening again.”
From Isolation to Action in part documents the church response. Besides the homily it contains a description of workshops held by the diocese’s newly formed sexual abuse committee under its chair, Vicar General Fr. John Sharp. The workshops were held for clergy and lay people. They included presentations by the Crown, psychologist Dr. Alan Leschied of the University of Western Ontario, as well as by the victims themselves.
The church also drew up a code of conduct for priests and set up a formal support network for victims. This included funding for professional counselling services and a protocol for dealing quickly and effectively with allegations of abuse.
The book’s prologue is written by Fabbro, who calls the publication “an incredible accomplishment which will benefit others who have to deal with the evil of sexual abuse.”
Also in the book, Fr. Bob Champagne writes of the effect upon him from listening to the victim statements in court, including those by childhood friends and parishioners.
“I continue to feel a sense of hurt and emptiness whenever I think back to that day,” he said.
Sharp, who speaks for the diocese in the Sylvestre matter, said the book has been distributed to people like lay ministers.
“(The books) are out there in the parishes for the pastoral leadership to use and learn from,” he said. “There’s a lot you can glean from it.”
Besides Sharp, other church members on FITA were Sr. Eleanor Gleeson, General Superior of the Chatham Ursuline Sisters, Fr. Daniel Vere, pastor at St. Ursula’s parish, and Connie Pare, regional co-ordinator with the diocese.
Sharp added church representatives weren’t always welcomed by sexual abuse victims, which is understandable.
“There were some social gatherings which I certainly didn’t feel that I could be a part of and I wasn’t,” he said. “I was constantly aware that there was tension that was there.”
Nevertheless, he said, the diocese “was very respected” just for agreeing to participate.
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