Cover
story Church in Crisis Child advocate firm on charter
compliance
By ROBERT McCLORY
Chicago
In her spacious office in downtown Chicago, Justice Anne M.
Burkes strong words contrast with her gracious, charming manner. She was
surprised and humbled, she said, to be invited to be a member of
the new national review board overseeing implementation of the U.S.
bishops charter to protect young people from sex abuse by priests.
But on the issue of abuse, she is absolute. The
zero-tolerance policy has been put in place for the children, the
victims, she said. I realize that can be heartbreaking for some
priest who may have had just one abuse incident many years ago. But its
not about priests; its about child protection. And you cant have a
law that applies only to some.
The invitation came in a call from Belleville, Ill., Bishop Wilton
Gregory, head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, two days before the
bishops met in Dallas in June.
Burke, a justice of the Illinois Court of Appeals, First District,
since 1995, has dedicated most of her 58 years to working on behalf of abused
and neglected children.
As a South Side Chicago teen, she taught mentally disabled
children in park district programs, then almost single-handedly founded the
Chicago Special Olympics when she was 23. She later earned teaching and law
degrees and set up her own law office where she specialized in cases involving
battered, unwanted and delinquent youngsters. It was sort of a natural
progression, said Burke. The more education I got, the more I could
do.
Meanwhile she and her husband, Edward M. Burke, were raising four
children, three of them adopted. Ed Burke went on to become a Chicago alderman;
now 34 years (and nine elections) later, he is still one of the best-known and
most powerful fixtures in the City Council. Anne was appointed by the governor
in 1987 as special counsel for child welfare services and immediately
instituted a major training program to improve communication between social
workers and police. The old system wasnt working, she said. Cases dragged
on in court for months, for years, and it was the kids, only the kids who
suffered.
Six years ago, with their youngest child 20, the Burkes tried to
improve the red-tape-cluttered foster parent system. To gain experience, they
obtained licensing as foster parents themselves and began to take short-term
custody of drug-addicted babies. We thought we might become good examples
to other empty nesters like ourselves, Anne said.
However, their second foster child became a cause
célèbre when questions arose about the mothers competence
to regain custody. A high profile, bitter court battle lasted two years, with
the Burkes eventually obtaining legal guardianship of the boy, now 6. (The
mother retains visiting rights.) Throughout the battle, the Burkes were often
accused of using their clout and influential friends to get their way.
We knew the mother was not qualified, Burke said of
the ordeal. We knew we had no choice but to fight.
She does not think her new job for the bishops will be difficult.
According to the approved policy, each diocese will have its own review board,
which will be examined by the new Office of Protection (actually an
investigative agency), which will report to the lay review board, which will
report to the bishops and the public. Everything will be open,
Burke said, absolutely.
She declined to comment on the reported opinion of her
boards chair, Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating, that bishops who cover up
abuse should be held legally accountable. My personal feelings about the
charter are irrelevant, Burke said. Its [the bishops]
charter, their rules, and they will be complied with.
Burke added she became confident that the laitys great
faith will sustain Catholics through the crisis after attending one of
the Chicago listening sessions on abuse at a South Side parish. The
people were really, really angry at the bishops, she said, but not
one of them said their faith was shaken. Look, governments fall,
administrations fall, the church has gone through so many scandals, and
its come back better than before. I believe this involvement of the laity
is just the first step of many involvements to come.
And I tell you this: There will be no secrecy this time. If
someone tries it, Im out of here.
Robert McClory, an NCR special report writer, lives in
Chicago.
National Catholic Reporter, August 2,
2002
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