Diocese of Fresno responds to news that CADOJ will issue subpoenas in ongoing compliance review:
Since May of this year, the Diocese of Fresno, along with five other dioceses, has cooperated on a voluntary basis with the Attorney General’s Office as it conducts a thorough examination of the practices and procedures that seek to protect the children entrusted to the care of our schools, churches and programs. Throughout this process, we have worked to accommodate the Attorney General’s requests while also following the laws governing the privacy rights of employees, abuse victims and mandated reporters.
This week, we were informed that the Attorney General’s Office will issue subpoenas as part of this ongoing review. An abundance of time and resources has already been dedicated to this high-priority undertaking and we will continue to do so until the process comes to completion and accomplishes its goal. To verify that safeguards are effectively in place and are being appropriately implemented to ensure the safety of our children and young people is crucially important and a shared interest.
The Most Reverend Joseph V. Brennan, Bishop of the Diocese of Fresno, states: “I am committed to fully cooperating with the Attorney General’s examination to the best of our ability in accordance with the law. In the first stage of this process, a high volume production of material relevant to our policies and procedures was provided by the Diocese of Fresno to demonstrate our significant commitment to the law and the Charter of Protection of Children and Young People promulgated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. To now undergo a review by the Attorney General’s Office is a welcomed process that will help us to advance efforts towards greater transparency; to further learn from our past, scrutinize our current performance in implementing mandated reporting procedures; and, to continue to tirelessly pursue and develop all reasonable measures to protect the vulnerable in our midst.”
Click to hear the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
