The Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting (CBAR) service was launched by the U.S. Bishops in March as part of their ongoing commitment to carrying out Pope Francis’ Motu Proprio Vos estis lux mundi – or "You are the light of the world" – issued in May 2019.
To report an incident of sexual abuse and related misconduct by a bishop, please contact the Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting Service at ReportBishopAbuse.org or call (800) 276-1562.
The CBAR service is operated by Convercent, Inc., an independent, third-party entity that provides intake services to private institutions for reports of sensitive topics such as sexual harassment through a secure, confidential, and professional platform.
If a report is received through the CBAR service about a New Jersey bishop, it will be forwarded to the local metropolitan bishop, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, who will undertake the responsibility of initially assessing the report. In the event the report concerns Cardinal Tobin, it would be forwarded to the senior bishop of another diocese in New Jersey.
Cardinal Tobin, with a team of competent experts in the fields of law enforcement, law, counseling and human relations, will conduct an initial assessment and forward that assessment, along with the unedited report, to the Apostolic Nuncio in Washington, D.C. The Apostolic Nuncio will then forward both the report and assessment to the Holy See for a determination about whether an investigation is warranted.
The Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting service allows individuals to report U.S. bishops who have:
The third-party service does not replace existing reporting systems for complaints against priests, deacons, religious brothers or sisters, or lay persons working or volunteering for the Church, which were established in 2002 with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.
To report sexual misconduct by anyone in diocesan ministry, please contact local law enforcement and the Diocesan Response Officer at (908) 930-4558, in accordance with the Diocese of Metuchen’s child protection policy.