We hold regional meetings throughout the country and at every one, we tell our stories and get support from each other. And we've begun a dialogue with the bishops and have begun using traditional organizing techniques to pressure them. These have not been without effect. As a result of the publicity surrounding their protests, they were able to meet with a panel of three bishops in November and were promised follow-up meetings in the coming months. But the most encouraging development, Blaine and Miller agree, is the growing movement of survivors, themselves.
History shows that only when people join together and speak out does real change happen.
That's what ended slavery, that's what made civil rights a reality, and ultimately, that's what will force church leaders to do right by us. Many Catholic dioceses now have written policies about abuse, but advocates and survivors question the sincerity of such documents and the church's commitment to follow them consistently. For example, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin's widely praised guidelines drew fire from Chicago-area survivors most familiar with his plan. Nearly every written policy assures the faithful that proven molesters will be forbidden to be near children. Yet some priests reappear in parish ministry even after admitting abuse.