Cardinal Tobin: Church is rebuilding 'shot' credibility in wake of abuse scandals

Just a week before state law may unleash a torrent of new priest abuse lawsuits, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of the Newark Archdiocese said the church is working hard to rebuild trust with the more than 1.3 million Catholics under his watch.

The church's credibility was "shot" after a series of scandals came to light last year, Tobin said in an interview Friday. But the archdiocese has taken steps to inject more transparency, he added, including pressing local pastors to address the abuse issue from the pulpit and making financial audits public.

Regaining trust “is not easy or instantaneous,” Tobin told NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network New Jersey in a wide-ranging interview. “We have to act like we’re trustworthy.”

Tobin, whose archdiocese covers Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex counties, unveiled a six-point "Forward in Faith Together" initiative earlier this year focused on increasing protection for minors and seminarians, education of priests and support for parishioners, among other goals.

Abuse claims:50 NJ clergy abuse victims file compensation claims, but some say it won't uncover the truth

Priesthood:Despite challenges to the Catholic Church, future NJ priest enthusiastic about priesthood

While Tobin acknowledged "anger and distrust and even despair" among some local Catholics, he also said the church is starting to win people back, citing an uptick in donations to the archdiocese's annual financial campaign. While public participation in some parishes has been "on the ropes," others remain robust, he said.

"If I had a magic bullet I’d use it," said the Cardinal, who took over leadership in Newark three years ago. "It’s more a steady foot on the pedal."

The story continues below the gallery.

New Jersey's five Roman Catholic dioceses face uncertain times starting on Dec. 1, when the state will suspend the statute of limitations on sexual abuse cases for two years. Hundreds more alleged victims are expected to sue. Several law firms said in interviews that they are preparing to file.

Tobin's "Forward in Faith" initiative followed a summer of painful revelations in 2018, including questions about the church's handling of allegations against former Newark Archbishop Theodore McCarrick. A Pennsylvania grand jury report also detailed reports of hundreds of abuse claims in that state and years-long efforts by Catholic officials to hide the allegations.

Partly in response, New Jersey's dioceses in February released the names of 188 priests and deacons who'd been "credibly accused" of sexually assaulting children. That included 63 in the Newark archdiocese, 30 of them still living.

Tobin, at the time, told congregants he hoped the list would "bring healing" to victims but also said Catholic leaders didn't see it as the end of efforts to account for the church's role in past abuses. New Jersey's attorney general last year created a task force to conduct a separate investigation of allegations against clergy around the state.

Tobin unveiled the Forward in Faith initiative in April to "help alleviate the hurt and mistrust within our community." The program focuses on six "pillars," including accountability, transparency and the protection of minors and seminarians.

Tobin said he has "no idea" what may happen after Dec. 1 and he declined to discuss the potential financial fallout for the archdiocese.. But he's keenly aware of the pain, he said: "I've been listening to victims from day one," he said, adding that no financial compensation will be adequate to alleviate their suffering.

An independent compensation fund launched by the New Jersey dioceses in June may offer a faster and more dignified experience for abuse victims than in the courtroom, Tobin added. The fund, which requires recipients to surrender their right to sue, had received 185 claims in New Jersey and made offers to 47 victims of $5.5 million as of Nov. 6.

The deadline to file claims in the state is Dec. 31. The date could be extended, but that possibility hasn't been discussed yet by the five dioceses, Tobin said. 

While the fallout from the abuse scandals has dominated public discussion, Tobin said he's also focused on other issues parishioners have raised to him, including how to deal with an influx of new immigrants, the quality of local Catholic education and how to reach more young people. The church "has got to find" more roles of authority for women, he added, although he stopped short of joining calls for the ordination of female priests or deacons. 

When the Detroit native first arrived on the scene in Newark nearly three years ago, people frequently inquired about his vision for the archdiocese. But Tobin admitted he didn't have one yet. With his typical humor and blunt style, he quipped, "They'd look at me with some disappointment, thinking they'd lost out on me."

But the bench-pressing priest – who speaks five languages – had a plan. "I kind of know what the church is supposed to be but I didn't know what it means for Northern New Jersey." During his first year, he said, he went from parish to parish holding town halls and listening to church members. He considered their concerns while crafting his six pillars.

Tobin said he's hopeful that the initiative will be a foundation towards a stronger commitment to the church.  

Stressing his own close ties to the church, Tobin, the oldest of 13 children and a priest for the past 41 years, likened the experience of cutting oneself off from the faith community as "spiritual anorexia."

"I think people hang in with the church because they recognize what's really there," he said. "They don't whitewash the sinful stuff, but they also realize that that's not the essence of the church..

His Catholicism is "a source of identity, a source of hope. I value that so much personally... It tears my heart out when people say 'I can't stay there anymore.'"  

Deena Yellin covers religion for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to her work covering how the spiritual intersects with our daily lives, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: yellin@northjersey.com Twitter: @deenayellin