Archbishop Weisenburger expresses ‘heartfelt sorrow for the evil of abuse,’ details new policies for fingerprinting, victim assistance, education and monitoring
Read Archbishop Weisenburger’s pastoral message, “Rebuilding Trust: A Pastoral Message on Abuse, Reform, and Hope,” at www.aod.org/rebuildingtrust.
DETROIT — In a new pastoral message released March 11, Detroit Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger expressed “heartfelt sorrow for the evil of abuse and the profound suffering it has caused,” and outlined several new measures designed to strengthen safe environment protections and accompany victims of clergy sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Detroit.
In the message, “Rebuilding Trust: A Pastoral Message on Abuse, Reform, and Hope,” released a week before his first anniversary as Detroit’s chief shepherd, Archbishop Weisenburger acknowledged the pain caused by the sins of clergy sexual abuse, and said while the Church has made important strides, “we must commit ourselves to ongoing accountability, transparency, and the unwavering protection of those entrusted to our care — especially God’s beloved little ones.”
The message and new policies, he said, are part of recommitting the Church to the “central and enduring priority” of protecting children and vulnerable adults.
“When I was installed as your archbishop one year ago, I accepted not only many joyful responsibilities, but also a most solemn one. Among the more serious obligations entrusted to me is addressing the wounds caused by clergy sexual abuse, along with strengthening the Church’s commitment to accountability and protection,” Archbishop Weisenburger said.
“Even as we walk through a broader restructuring of our archdiocese, I remain firmly committed to ensuring that the protection of children and vulnerable adults is upheld as a central and enduring priority of my pastoral leadership,” the archbishop added. “While my predecessors worked toward those same goals, I know there is progress still to be made to fully renew your confidence in the Church and to rebuild your trust in her bishops, priests, and deacons. I offer this letter to you, the faithful, as an important step in that journey.”
In the pastoral message, Archbishop Weisenburger said the “history of abuse must not be minimized, explained away, or forgotten,” and that however painful these chapters are, “we cannot distance ourselves from them.”
The archbishop offered his “most sincere and heartfelt apology” to those who have been abused or harmed by the Church’s pastors in any way, and acknowledged that “words alone cannot heal the harm inflicted.”
“Taking seriously Jesus’ teaching that whatever we do to the least among us, we do to Him, I can only conclude that the crimes and misconduct you suffered were nothing short of an attack on Christ Himself,” Archbishop Weisenburger said. “I pray that the wounds you have endured will be healed and that you will be comforted by the grace and love of Jesus.”
In his message, Archbishop Weisenburger said the local Church must renew its commitment to healing, safeguarding and accountability, outlining several new measures to strengthen the protection of children and vulnerable adults, accompany victims of abuse, educate future clergy and more closely monitor clergy removed from ministry.
Since the adoption of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002 — and two revisions since by the bishops — the Archdiocese of Detroit has “worked diligently to bring criminals to justice” through strengthened cooperation with state and federal law enforcement, stronger canonical procedures and enhanced clergy disciplinary protocols, the archbishop said.
Archbishop Weisenburger also noted stronger protections and norms implemented by the Holy See in recent years, which include Pope Francis’ motu proprio, “Vos Estis Lux Mundi.”
“Under the leadership of Pope Francis, the Church’s penal laws were substantially streamlined and strengthened, making the prosecution of offenders more effective and ensuring greater accountability within the Church,” Archbishop Weisenburger said.
Comprehensive review of files and processes
In April 2025, Archbishop Weisenburger appointed Fr. John Maksym, a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit, as episcopal vicar for clergy discipline. A licensed attorney and former appellate and trial court judge with criminal litigation experience, as well as a canon lawyer, Fr. Maksym has since led a team of professionals dedicated to conducting “a comprehensive and unprecedented review” of all of the Archdiocese of Detroit’s files, processes and protocols related to the handling of sexual abuse allegations and promoting safe environments in the archdiocese’s parishes, schools and communities, the archbishop said.
Fr. Maksym’s team includes both clergy and lay professionals, and brings “expertise in law and criminal justice, enriched by their invaluable perspectives as parents and grandparents,” Archbishop Weisenburger said. “I believe the inclusion of parents, alongside clergy, underscores the importance of a diverse, collaborative, and credible approach to effective safeguarding efforts.”
Archbishop Weisenburger said that “for the first known time in the history of our archdiocese,” the team led by Fr. Maksym reviewed “every known case involving clergy misconduct — not only those involving allegations of sexual abuse — dating back to the early 1920’s.”
“Each case was carefully examined in order to clearly identify those that involved credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors or vulnerable adults, ensuring that no allegation was overlooked and no victim deprived of justice or an opportunity for care,” the archbishop said.
The archdiocese’s review was facilitated, in part, by the return of personnel and other files held by the Michigan Attorney General’s office, which since 2018 has been conducting an investigation into each of Michigan’s seven Catholic dioceses related to the handling of sexual abuse cases.
The Archdiocese of Detroit continues to “cooperate fully” with the Attorney General’s investigation, Archbishop Weisenburger said, while adding he “greatly appreciate(s)” the office for granting his request to return the files.
So far, the Attorney General’s office has released the findings of its investigation related to five of Michigan’s dioceses: Marquette, Gaylord, Kalamazoo, Lansing and Grand Rapids. It is expected to release reports on the Diocese of Saginaw and the Archdiocese of Detroit once those investigations are completed.
“As we continue to cooperate fully with the Attorney General’s Task Force, it is my hope that our own careful review of these files will allow us to respond with transparency and justice when the Attorney General’s report is published,” Archbishop Weisenburger said.
“As a matter of practice and policy,” the archbishop added, the archdiocese immediately reports any allegation of sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult by a member of the clergy to the Attorney General’s office, and does not pursue its own investigation until cleared by the Attorney General’s office to do so, “to ensure that we never interfere with the criminal justice process.”
New archdiocese-wise fingerprinting standards
Besides a comprehensive review of files and procedures related to abuse allegations, Archbishop Weisenburger said the Archdiocese of Detroit has taken several steps to strengthen its own safe environment protocols.
While the Archdiocese of Detroit’s practices already were consistent with national standards — including those required by the U.S. bishops’ charter — the new policies are designed to provide even stronger protection as the archdiocese seeks to ensure “the safety of every child and vulnerable adult entrusted to our care,” the archbishop said.
“While acknowledging the horrors of the past can serve as a powerful measure of accountability and healing, these gestures are only partial without action taken to ensure such crimes are never repeated,” Archbishop Weisenburger said.
Among the new policies is a new, archdiocesan-wide fingerprinting policy that will apply to all clergy, educators and employees, as well as any volunteer who works directly with children or vulnerable adults.
“While background screening has long been a critical part of our safe environment effort, fingerprinting is widely recognized as the ‘gold standard’ and most reliable method in the security field,” Archbishop Weisenburger said.
In addition to a “thorough prescreening measure,” fingerprinting serves as an ongoing safety check, the archbishop explained.
“Through participation in state and federal databases, we will receive notification of subsequent arrests of anyone in our system who has been fingerprinted, enabling timely and appropriate action when necessary,” the archbishop said. “In many settings, particularly schools and childcare facilities, this standard is already required by law. Our new policy extends this same level of scrutiny, care and protection across the entire Archdiocese.”
Archbishop Weisenburger added that he had been “first in line” to be fingerprinted as the initiative was rolled out in January, followed by Fr. Timothy Birney, the archdiocese’s vicar general and moderator of the curia, and Fr. Maksym.
To date, approximately 225 diocesan priests have been fingerprinted, along with members of the archdiocese’s curia staff, with the initiative continuing in the months ahead.
Accompanying victims of abuse
While bolstering safe environment measures, the archdiocese is also strengthening its commitment to accompanying victims of abuse in their healing, the archbishop said.
Archbishop Weisenburger said he has directed the archdiocese to expand its reserves dedicated to providing funding for the psychiatric and psychological care of victims, “to ensure that no one is denied access to needed support.”
“Victims carry wounds that safe environment policies alone cannot heal, and it is the Church’s responsibility to walk with them patiently, compassionately, and faithfully on the path toward healing,” the archbishop said.
Along with therapeutic healing, the Church offers pastoral care to those victimized, in order to further accompany their healing journey. An important part of that care is the support of a victim assistance coordinator dedicated to helping survivors navigate the road to recovery and healing. Every diocese in the United States has a victim assistance coordinator, a position created by the 2002 U.S. bishops’ charter.
Going forward, victim assistance will be provided through Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan, the archbishop said, in order to better serve the spiritual and emotional wellbeing of victim-survivors.
“To further strengthen this commitment, the roles of investigation and victim assistance have been separated, with Catholic Charities of Michigan, the charitable extension of the Archdiocese of Detroit, now entrusted with responsibility for victim assistance,” Archbishop Weisenburger said.
One of the primary ways victim assistance coordinators help is by arranging counseling and helping survivors obtain other forms of support.
Annual training for future priests and deacons
In order to ensure the sins of the past are neither forgotten nor repeated, Archbishop Weisenburger said it’s imperative that the next generation of ministers in the Church receives a deeper understanding of the abuse crisis, its history, and the tools needed to prevent it from happening again.
To complement safe environment training already required for all clergy, seminarians, employees and volunteers, seminarians studying at Detroit’s Sacred Heart Major Seminary will receive enhanced training and education on an annual basis, the archbishop said.
“The topic of clerical misconduct has long been addressed at Detroit’s Sacred Heart Major Seminary. However, I have directed that a formal curriculum be developed for an annual seminar, where seminarians will confront the painful history of the clergy abuse crisis in the United States, review the mandates governing clerical conduct, and deepen their understanding of what it means to create and maintain a safe environment,” Archbishop Weisenburger said.
This enhanced training and formation will include reviews of reports issued by the state’s Attorney General’s office, other law enforcement agencies, and any additional reports published by the archbishop himself or Church leaders.
It will also review changes to the Church’s canonical penalties related to abuse, he said, such as those recently promulgated by Pope Francis.
“I want all future priests and deacons to have this at the forefront of their minds when they carry out their ministry,” Archbishop Weisenburger said.
Monitoring clergy removed from ministry
While the Archdiocese of Detroit acts swiftly to remove from ministry any priest or deacon with a credible allegation of abuse, the local Church’s responsibility does not end when restrictions are placed upon a clergy member, Archbishop Weisenburger said.
To ensure continued oversight, the archbishop said a supervisor will be appointed to monitor clerics removed from ministry, “and, as needed, to coordinate with local and federal law enforcement authorities.”
Appointing a supervisor will result in increased accountability when a priest or deacon is removed from ministry, the archbishop said, working to verify compliance with the restrictions.
“Any restrictions placed on a cleric who has been removed from ministry must be monitored carefully and consistently,” the archbishop said.
“I am entrusting compliance with these directives to the Department of Clergy Discipline and continue to rely upon the Archdiocesan Review Board in its advisory and oversight role,” he added. “Comprised primarily of lay men and women with expertise in law, psychology, social work, education, medicine, and canon law, the Review Board remains an essential source of guidance and accountability in fulfilling this responsibility.”
How to report abuse
In concluding his pastoral message, Archbishop Weisenburger thanked those who, through their courage and vigilance, have reported abuse and worked to bring about justice, transparency and reform.
“The actions we take today were made possible by the victims who bravely came forward to share their stories, seek justice, and demand change,” he said. “With gratitude to them, I continue to urge anyone with knowledge of clergy sexual abuse of minors and others to report directly to law enforcement, no matter when the abuse occurred.”
Those making a report of abuse are encouraged to contact the Michigan Attorney General’s hotline at (844) 324-3374 or [email protected], the archbishop said, as well as local law enforcement.
Those wishing to contact the Archdiocese of Detroit’s abuse reporting intake coordinator, Tony Latarski, can call (313) 237-6060, toll-free at (866) 343-8055, or email [email protected]. All abuse allegations received by the archdiocese are shared with civil authorities.
Finally, Archbishop Weisenburger said while the Church remains committed to accountability, transparency and safety, it is also grateful for the steadfast witness of the majority of clergy and religious who serve faithfully and selflessly in the Archdiocese of Detroit.
“Finally, I wish to conclude by sharing this reflection: In my decades of service as a member of the clergy, having ministered in several dioceses across our country, I know this to be true: the overwhelming majority of clergy and religious serve faithfully and with integrity, offering dedicated service to God and the Church,” Archbishop Weisenburger said.
“This statement is offered as a factual observation and is not intended as a defense or an attempt to diminish the seriousness of harm and suffering caused,” he added. “I wish to thank them for their faithful witness, generous service, and quiet perseverance amid the pain and betrayal bought about by the sins of others.”
