Keating says Catholics need to be open to abuse claims

<br>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) _ Catholic dioceses need to be open about sexual abuse claims against priests, the chairman of a national monitoring panel said. <br><br>``Nothing short of transparency, nothing short

Thursday, October 3rd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) _ Catholic dioceses need to be open about sexual abuse claims against priests, the chairman of a national monitoring panel said.

``Nothing short of transparency, nothing short of zero-tolerance, nothing short of criminal referral,'' Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating said Wednesday in Omaha.

Keating was appointed head of the U.S. Bishops' National Review Board on sexual abuse last summer by Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Keating's panel will name dioceses that have not established independent review boards by the end of the year.

``A good question for Omaha Catholics is, 'When will the board be established?''' Keating said. ``Who is on it, and why hasn't it been established yet?''

The Omaha Archdiocese is currently in the process of creating its board, said the Rev. Michael Gutgsell, chancellor.

A nine-member task force is currently reviewing candidates to hold five-year terms on the Omaha Archdiocese board, Gutgsell said.

The group expects to give prospective candidates' names to Archbishop Elden Curtiss well before the end of the year, Gutgsell said.

``That process is in full motion,'' Gutgsell said. ``It's just not a matter of picking 10 names out of a hat.''

Most of the nation's 194 Catholic dioceses are in compliance with the charter already, said Keating, who was attending a Salvation Army luncheon that had been originally scheduled for Sept. 13, 2001.

He could not fly to Omaha because of the airline shutdown after the terrorist attacks.

On Wednesday, he thanked the Salvation Army for its help during Oklahoma's major disasters, including the 1995 bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City and the bridge collapse on Memorial Day that sent vehicles into the Arkansas River.