Statement dated Sept. 17, 2019
From the beginning of this year’s General Assembly session, the Rhode
Island Catholic Conference publicly welcomed the opportunity to
engage in the process to determine how best to provide justice and
healing for victims of abuse in a respectful, constructive way through an
approach that was fair and just. We submitted comprehensive 15-page
written testimony which was public and covered in our local media.
Once the legislation was amended and brought back to the Rhode
Island Assembly for consideration the RI Catholic Conference released a
public statement supporting the compromise which extended the
statute of limitations to 35 years. This was also covered in our local
media and social media.
The Rhode Island Catholic Conference serves as the advocate for the
Church’s public policy positions before the Rhode Island General
Assembly and other civic officials. It advocates on a broad range of
issues that promote and defend the sanctity of human life, the respect
for human dignity and the service of the common good. Father Bernard
A. Healey, is the Director of the R.I. Catholic Conference.