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I lift up my eyes to the hills;*
from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the LORD,*
the maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved*
and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel*
shall neither slumber nor sleep;
The LORD himself watches over you;*
the LORD is your shade at your right hand,
So that the sun shall not strike you by day,*
nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;*
it is he who shall keep you safe.
The LORD shall watch over your going out and your coming in,*
from this time forth for evermore.
Those are the words to Psalm 121, one my favorites in the entire Psalter. I thought of them – and how hollow they must sound to some -- as I was recovering from the news that the Court of Review overturned the decision of the trial court that in 2008 found Bishop Charles Bennison guilty of two separate counts of Conduct Unbecoming a Member of the Clergy. The decision of the trial court in June 2008 resulted in Bishop Bennison being deposed as Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania later that year. The judgment by the Court of Review means that the deposition of Charles Bennison is lifted and that he can resume his duties as bishop. For those who may not know, the presentment was made against Bishop Bennison for actions he failed to take when he was a priest against his brother, John, also a priest. In the mid- 1970’s John Bennison was involved in a long-term sexual relationship with a teenage girl while he worked with the Christian Education program and youth ministry in the church in which his brother, Charles Bennison, was rector. The presentment alleged that Charles Bennison engaged in Conduct Unbecoming a Member of the Clergy because he twice found his brother in a compromising position with the same girl and did nothing about it and even after he had evidence of what was going on between his brother and the girl he still did nothing. He didn’t alert any of the other parents or youth group members of his brother’s conduct. Nor did he offer the girl or her family any pastoral care. Maggie Thompson, the ex-wife of John Bennison, was instrumental in sharing information that resulted in the presentment. She underwent grueling hours of testimony at the original trial, and was present along with other persons mentioned in the trial briefs at the hearing held in May by the Court of Review. The Court of Review, while acknowledging that Charles Bennison was guilty of Conduct Unbecoming a Member of the Clergy, overturned the conviction because the statute of limitations had expired. The victims of the Brothers Bennison were victimized once. Now they’ve been victimized yet again by the judgment of the Court of Review. Fortunately, John Bennison is no longer a priest. Unfortunately, Charles Bennison is free to once again resume the reigns of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. Is it little wonder that those victimized by two priests and a flawed system might wonder if the LORD has not, indeed, fallen asleep? Is it little wonder that those same victims might question that the LORD shall preserve them from all evil and that it is he who shall keep them safe? The Court of Review asserted in its judgment that “the development of a structure . . . to identify, confront and handle clergy sexual abuse has grown over a period of years . . . . In that process . . . the Church has not tried to dodge or to deny that there are or can be problems of clergy sexual abuse. It has done its best to confront the issues in a transparent and deliberate manner.” In my opinion the Court of Review has, in one decision, undone all of that work. The Court of Review had some startling things to say, as well, about statutes of limitations. “The statute of limitations is an important protection that is essential to the integrity of the judicial process, both secular and ecclesiastical.” Later, the judges noted that “the delay [that results from a statute of limitations] may work to the disadvantage of the accused (emphasis mine) because memories dim, documents get lost or destroyed, and important witnesses die.” To use the Court’s own words, this is clearly erroneous. Anyone who’s been the least bit involved in sexual abuse cases knows that statutes of limitations protect only the perps. It is the accused that hope for dimmed memories, lost or destroyed documents and dead witnesses. Fear, shame and silence become the allies of those who abuse the most vulnerable among us, our children.
For victims, the best statute of limitations is no statute of limitations at all. There is a group of not-so-obvious victims in this whole sorry mess. They are the priests in the Diocese of Pennsylvania who must now struggle with the question asked of each of them at their ordination, “Will you respect and be guided by the pastoral direction and leadership of your bishop?” I don’t envy any of them that struggle. Their vows require that they now respect and be guided by the pastoral leadership of a bishop who all these years later still believes that his actions with regard to his brother were “just about right.” In the aftermath of the Court’s shocking decision I want to acknowledge some acts of bravery. First, the direct victim of John Bennison’s abuse whose soul was broken. She has redeemed that devastating experience, has received healing, and now lives a productive life. Second, Maggie Thompson for being a truth-teller and pressing this issue. She forced the church hierarchy to deal with John Bennison’s actions and Charles Bennison’s cover-up. Busting open secrets always takes courage because there are those who would just as soon not know the secret or deal with its aftermath. It’s often the truth-teller whose character and motives are questioned and who suffers in the court of public opinion. Third, the priests in the Diocese of Pennsylvania who will now have to function under difficult circumstances. They will need to be healers while themselves needing healing.
I hope that all of these incredibly courageous people find comfort, consolation, healing and strength in the words of Psalm 121. And I hope they know this: “The LORD shall watch over your going out and your coming in,* from this time forth for evermore.”
Yours in Christ’s service,
Rev. Ann
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