This glossary is provided to help readers understand Church language used throughout the report.
Assigned to a Life of Prayer and Penance Imposing a life of prayer and penance is a penalty used to punish clergy for crimes and misconduct. A priest who has been assigned to a life of prayer and penance is not permitted to celebrate Mass publicly or to administer the sacraments. He is instructed not to wear clerical garb or to present himself publicly as a priest. This penalty is used typically when the cleric is elderly or in severely compromised health.
Canon Law The term used to describe the law of the Catholic Church.
Clerical State The clerical state refers to those who have been ordained as a bishop, priest or deacon and their status as a member of the clergy. If a man loses the clerical state he is no longer a member of the clergy (see Dismissal from the Clerical State; Dispensation from the Clerical State). He always remains a deacon, priest or bishop, however.
Credible Allegation An allegation is determined to be credible if it is not manifestly false and there is reasonable cause to believe that the sexual abuse occurred.
Dismissal from the Clerical State – or – Laicization (involuntary) Dismissal from the clerical state means a bishop, priest or deacon has involuntarily lost all rights and obligations associated with ordination. Dismissal occurs after a canonical trial and is a penalty for committing some canonical crime. Dismissal from the clerical state is commonly referred to as “laicization” as it is the process of returning a man to the lay state.
Dispensation from the Clerical State – or – Laicization (voluntary) A voluntary return to the lay state, commonly referred to as “laicization.” A “dispensation from the clerical state,” is granted by the pope when it is requested by the cleric. This is not a penalty but rather the desire of the cleric to relinquish the rights and obligations associated with the priesthood.
Incardination The process of a bishop or other superior formally accepting a priest into a Diocese or Religious Order. When a priest is incardinated, he is accountable to the bishop or other superior of a religious order. Incardination takes place automatically when a man enters the clerical state which occurs when he is ordained a deacon. Incardination of a cleric may change by mutual agreement between his superiors and the cleric himself.
Misconduct Commission for Diocesan Personnel Established in 1992 by the Bishop of Springfield, the Misconduct Commission for Diocesan Personnel (“Misconduct Commission”) was a group of nine (9) laypersons who received and investigated all complaints of improper conduct by priests, deacons and diocesan personnel relating to sexual misconduct. The Misconduct Commission was succeeded by the Review Board after the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (2002) was established.
Removal of Faculties/Restriction of Faculties Faculties are a cleric’s authorization to celebrate the sacraments and act on behalf of the Church. A bishop can restrict or revoke a priest’s or deacon’s faculties to minister in the Church. A cleric who has no faculties cannot carry out any liturgical, sacramental or administrative action on behalf of the Church. A cleric can also have restricted faculties, which strictly limits his ministry to a certain place or in a particular instance. Depending on the situation, some priests whose faculties have been restricted may be able to dress in clerical garb and identify themselves as priests.
Removed from Public Ministry The term “removed from public ministry” is not found in canon law. The Diocese of Springfield adopted it in the 1990s for the status of a priests or deacon who has been prohibited from exercising ministry due to an allegation of misconduct. It is used for a priest or deacon who has been removed from his assignment and specifies that he is accorded his canonical rights while a canonical crime is investigated.
Review Board Established in 2002 under the Essential Norms, the Review Board assists the Bishop and the Diocese is determining and responding to allegations of sexual abuse of a minor.
Sexual Abuse of a Minor Any interaction between an adult and a child (under the age of 18) in which the child is used for sexual pleasure, stimulation, or sexual gratification of the perpetrator or observer. Sexual abuse can include both touching and non-touching behavior. This includes the manufacture, distribution and viewing of child pornography.
