Abuse victims to protest at World Youth Day

By Sandra Dimitrakopoulos, CTV News Staff

CTV's Anne-Marie Medwake on World Youth Day attendance

That is just one message that will be carried on placards during demonstrations planned for the global event that runs from July 23 to 28, according to David Gagnon, the national director of the Survivor's Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP-Canada).

"We wish to demonstrate with a tone of respect and yet it will be very honest," Gagnon said. "The mood will probably be one of determination and intent."

Gagnon, now in his 30s, was 15 when a Quebec priest first sexually abused him. That abuse went on for four years. While reports of sexual abuse by clergy in the U.S. -- particularly in Boston surrounding Rev. Paul Shanley -- have exploded in the last few months, Gagnon said the problem is not recognized in Canada.

"We want to help Canadians across the country understand that this is not an American crisis -- that this is a Canadian crisis as well," he said.

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Some say the sex abuse scandal has had a direct impact on how many people will attend World Youth Day, which since the mid-1980s has drawn crowds of up to 2 million.

Mary Wells, a social worker and expert in the area of sexual abuse who counsels bishops on policy, said the scandal could indeed be hurting turnout. "If I were a Catholic parent of a Catholic kid, I would not encourage them to go to World Youth Day," Wells said.

According to Paul Kilbertus, director of communications for WYD, registration peaked about two months ago at 200,000. That's far below the 500,000 so-called pilgrims that organizers had hoped for. The last WYD event held in North America, the Denver meeting in 1993, drew 600,000 people.

However, Kilbertus rejected the notion the abuse scandals have anything to do with the drop in numbers. He said the Sept. 11 attacks in New York City and Washington have made many wary of travel. In addition, some have stayed away because of the Pope's frail health.

Paul Kilbertus World Youth Day Director of Communitcations

"There is probably a surprisingly large population who think the Pope won't come and will be surprised (on July 23) when he gets off the plane," Kilbertus said.

While it's unclear whether the Pope will address the issue during his visit to Toronto, in the past he has publicly condemned the sex abuse scandals in Catholic churches around the world, calling it "an appalling sin in the eyes of God."

While the Pope has condemned the abuse, Wells said it is "stunningly irresponsible" that WYD organizers have not set up policies and response mechanisms, such at a hotline, for young people coming to the event to use in case sexual assaults occur.

"I'm extremely concerned about Catholic World Youth Day steadfastly refusing to make a statement about sexual abuse," she said. "They won't say things to parents or those coming to reassure them. I think it's arrogance and abuse of power."

Kilbertus said organizers are doing everything they can to make sure abuse doesn't happen at the event, where many young pilgrims are accompanied by clergy. That includes screening and training of volunteers and a message to all pilgrims in their guidebook to call 911 if there are any problems, including sexual abuse.

"To say we've not addressed it is not fair," he said. "We have been very aware of this and tried to do our best to incorporate the safety into the event for all those going to World Youth Day."

Gagnon and other groups, including Quebec-based Mouvement Action Justice, have asked for a 15-minute meeting with the Pope. But Gagnon said Canadian bishops, who are organizing the pontiffs' agenda, won't grant that request.

"This would have been a golden opportunity for the church in Canada to deal with the issue," he said.

Meanwhile, the victims' and survivors' advocacy group Linkup is looking forward to October when the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops meets to review church policies, which could include the sexual abuse issue.

"I like to think in all professions, including the priesthood, that we will take the position that sexual abuse of vulnerable people is not to be tolerated," said Nancy Mayor, a social worker with Linkup.

The scope of the problem in Canada is still largely unknown. Gagnon suggested 10,000 is a "conservative" estimate of how many people have been abused.

One known incident of sexual abuse took place at the Mount Cashel orphanage in Newfoundland, where dozens of children were abused by lay Roman Catholic priests starting in the 1950s.

"Mount Cashel is just the beginning of a long list" of schools were similar abuses have occurred but have not been made public, Gagnon said.