By Celia K. Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Every three years, the Diocese of Honolulu undergoes an audit to assess its compliance with guidelines established by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to address allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy.
The “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” was created in 2002 in response to the sexual abuse crisis in the church. Revised several times over the years, the charter “also includes guidelines for reconciliation, healing, accountability and prevention of future acts of abuse,” according to the USCCB website.
This year, once again, the Diocese of Honolulu was found to be in compliance with the articles of the charter for the period between July 1, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2024.
The audit was conducted in late October by StoneBridge Business Partners, which is contracted by the USCCB to assess dioceses and eparchies across the country. StoneBridge sent a letter Nov. 7 to Bishop Larry Silva informing him of the diocese’s status.
Reviewers from StoneBridge interviewed personnel within the Diocese of Honolulu as well as at parishes and schools in multiple vicariates.
The interviews were conducted both virtually and in-person — a change from three years ago, when the site visit was entirely virtual due to travel restrictions tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Kristin Leandro, director of the diocese’s Office of Safe Environment and Charter Compliance for the diocese.
While Leandro said her expectation this year, as in the other years she has coordinated the audit site visit, was that the diocese would be in compliance, “the area that is hard to predict is what suggestion(s) for improvement the reviewers will recommend in their ‘management letter’ to the bishop.”
In 2021, Leandro said, the recommendation was to update the diocese’s annual parish and school audit process and “implement an ‘in-depth review’ of a location’s Safe Environment documentation, process and policies.” The result has been “an enhanced and more robust review process of locations’ Safe Environment documentation.”
A recommendation from the reviewers does not affect the diocese’s status as in compliance with the charter’s articles.
Detailed process
There are 17 articles in the charter; during the audit, many came with multiple questions addressing certain points within each.
Some questions asked in the audit were:
“How does the diocese/eparchy foster reconciliation among all people in their dioceses/eparchies?”
“Is pastoral care of victims coordinated immediately after (a) report is made? If not, how long after?”
“Does a code of conduct exist for clergy, other paid personnel and volunteers in the diocese/eparchy who have contact with minors?”
Among the diocesan personnel interviewed were Bishop Larry Silva; vicar general Msgr. Gary Secor; Hawaii Catholic Schools Superintendent Llewellyn Young; Father Mark Gantley, judicial vicar and director of canonical affairs; and several members of the Diocesan Review Board, which advises the bishop on the handling of sexual misconduct by clergy and other church personnel.
The StoneBridge reviewers also conducted interviews, either live or virtually, at several churches and schools: Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Papaikou, Hawaii island; St. John Vianney Church and School in Kailua; Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Ewa Beach; and St. Theresa Church and School in Kekaha, Kauai.
Leandro credited the diocese’s “team effort” in helping it achieve compliance with the USCCB charter.
“Each and every one of us — our bishop, our priests and deacons, our seminarians and deacon formation candidates, our diocesan staff, the administrators and educators in our Catholic schools, our parish and school employees, and our countless volunteers all play a role in our continued efforts to build a culture of healing and protection in our church, creating a safe environment for everyone.”
