The June 26, 2003 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court striking down a California law that retroactively erased statutes of limitations has no effect whatsoever on policies and procedures for dealing with clergy sexual abuse followed for many years by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

All priests found to have abused minors have been permanently removed from ministry in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The Court's ruling does not make way for those men to re-enter ministry or to function in any way as priests.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles continues to be committed to making the church safe for all of our people, especially our children. The U.S. bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and the Norms for implementing the Charter continue to govern the policies and procedures of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles regarding sexual abuse by clergy. Among these policies and procedures are:

· All new reports of suspected abuse of minors are immediately reported to law enforcement, regardless of whether reporting is required by law.

· Priests involved in credible reports of abuse are removed from ministry pending the results of investigations by law enforcement and the Archdiocese's lay-majority Clergy Misconduct Oversight Board.

· The Archdiocese continues to provide counseling to abuse victims and their families and has done so for many years.