Catholic Life Ministries

Dear Friends, the investigation into our whistleblower complaint by the archbishop of Seattle is over.  Here is a portion of a statement that I read to the investigator on October 8, 2020:

My experience has taught me a few things.  #1. Sexual predators are here to stay.  They are in our churches, families, schools, etc.  We cannot filter them out.  They will find a way to be with minors and vulnerable adults. 

#2.  The temptation to protect sexual predators is also here to stay.  They will be our mentors whom we love, and we simply cannot believe the allegations made against us.  Or, if we do, we will not want to ruin their careers over this one incident. Or, perhaps, they will be individuals like Cardinal McCarrick who have power to influence our careers; or, perhaps, they will know secrets on us that we do not want exposed.

# 3 Safe environment programs must equip Catholic employees, clergy and lay, and volunteers to address cover-up of sex abuse.  Cover-up is the real culprit that turned a problem of offending clerics into an international scandal.  Essential to equipping Catholic employees and volunteers in confronting cover-up in the church is the legal and emotional protection of whistle-blowers.  Without that public commitment why would anyone speak out?

Review:  8/1/19 – The CLM Board wrote Archbishops Sartain and Etienne to investigate Robert’s role as a whistleblower regarding the mishandling and cover-up of cases of clergy sex abuse by the Bishop of Yakima.   Archbishop Sartain wrote a letter in response, dismissing the board’s concern.

8/28/19 – Robert wrote Archbishop Etienne (who replaced Archbishop Sartain) outlining his history of trying to expose the mishandling and cover-up of sex abuse in the Dioceses of Yakima and Seattle, and included evidence of retaliation.

11/15/19 – Archbishop Etienne wrote a response to Robert’s letter, stating that he was taking my concerns seriously and seeking consultation on his response.

2020 – Unbeknownst to us, the Archbishop initiated an  investigation.  He hired an investigator from Alaska, someone not known in Seattle or Yakima and therefore more likely viewed as being independent, to review documents and interview witnesses.

Oct 2020 – Robert was interviewed for almost two hours and provided the investigator with documents that he did not have and with names of witnesses with whom he had not yet spoken.  Frank Murray of Yakima was also interviewed.

5/23/22 – I was asked to meet with the Archbishop and was told that I had to come alone, I could not take notes, and I could not see any documentation.  At the meeting the Archbishop informed me that Pope Francis had been presented with the case and had then instructed the head of a congregation to issue a reprimand to Bishop Sevilla in accordance with  Canon 1339 for causing “harm and  scandal.”  THAT’S THE GOOD NEWS!

The bad news is that this reprimand is private.  That means neither the Pope, the Archbishop of Seattle, nor the Bishop of Yakima is going to tell anyone.  I wrote the Archbishop a letter to thank him for taking our complaint seriously and initiating the investigation.  Then I wrote this: The private nature of the Vatican’s reprimand of Bishop Sevilla leaves me and Frank Murray in the position of being whistleblowers once again…the issues which prompted our writing you in the first place remain unaddressed: Frank Murray and I have not been vindicated by Church leaders.  Clergy and lay employees, and volunteers have yet to be assured that their jobs and reputations will be protected if they speak out and expose any behavior that suggests the possible abuse of minors or vulnerable adults and/or that such behavior is being covered-up.  These issues, unaddressed, can also cause “harm and scandal” to the Church and continue the risks to youth and vulnerable adults.