Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a devout Catholic, was admittedly troubled and mad when he called an unusual meeting on a cold day in January with prosecutors and church lawyers to talk about the unspeakable.

The result is a 12-page memorandum of understanding effective this month between the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta joined with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah—which together cover the entire state. The memo sets out the rules for the church to voluntarily provide all its records, files, documents and complaints about priests or others accused of abusing children for an independent third-party review.

“The purpose of the review is to investigate all complaints of suspected child sexual abuse, regardless of when reported or when the alleged abuse occurred, refer cases involving child sexual abuse for prosecution to the appropriate District Attorney, prepare cases involving child sexual abuse for prosecution if requested, participate in the prosecution of said cases if requested, and publish a report regarding the findings and conclusions of said investigation,” according to the memo, which the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia provided upon request Wednesday.

“The attorney general brought all this together,” council executive director Pete Skandalakis told the Daily Report Wednesday. “Chris was the innovative mind that began this process.”

He said Carr had been talking with leaders of the church when he reached out to PAC. “He asked me if I was interested,” Skandalakis said. Skandalakis said yes and agreed to a meeting. He took with him PAC deputy director Lalaine Briones, who ultimately will be tasked with leading the effort.

Carr set up the meeting for 11 a.m. on Jan. 31 at the attorney general's offices across the street from the Capitol. The morning low temperature that Thursday was 27 degrees. Despite the temperature, the climate in the conference room was warm, relaxed and open, Skandalakis recalled. He and Briones sat at a long rectangular table with the church's lead lawyers: Perry McGuire and Stephen Forte of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, representing the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Georgia Catholic Conference executive director Francis Mulcahy also was there. So was Deputy Attorney General Dennis Dunn, according to the memo.

Carr started the conversation. Everyone at the table seemed to share the same motivation, Skandalakis said: “Tell the truth, and let the truth be what the truth is.”

“During this meeting, the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Diocese of Savannah expressed a willingness to permit PAC to review all records, files, documents, complaints and reports concerning suspected child abuse” in their possession, according to the memo. “Both expressed a willingness to permit PAC to review said files as part of an assessment of compliance with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (the “Charter”) and in the spirit of transparency.”

The memo quoted the preamble to that charter saying: “Innocent victims and their families have suffered terribly. In the past, secrecy created an atmosphere that inhibited the healing process and, in some cases, enabled sexually abusive behavior to be repeated. … We take responsibility for dealing with this problem strongly, consistently, and effectively in the future.”

Carr wasn't available by phone Wednesday but issued a statement.

“As Attorney General of Georgia and a Roman Catholic myself, I remain concerned and angered by reports of abuse in the Catholic Church,” Carr said in announcing the agreement. “Georgians—Catholic and Non-Catholic alike—need to be certain that reports of abuse anywhere and by anyone are taken seriously and handled properly.”

Carr and Skandalakis noted that such crimes fall primarily under the jurisdiction of local district attorneys. Georgia has no structure like the statewide grand jury in Pennsylvania that produced a report last year charging 300 priests with abusing more than 1,000 children.

Carr commended the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council for conducting the review, as well as the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Diocese of Savannah for supporting it. Carr said he looks forward to “their continued openness, transparency and cooperation.”

“Victims must be heard and supported, and those who abuse children or who cover up such acts must finally be held accountable,” Carr said. “Only then can justice be done. Only then can victims heal. And only then can the cloud of suspicion be lifted for those who have done nothing wrong.”

Atlanta Archbishop Wilton Gregory and Savannah Bishop Gregory Hartmayer issued statements supporting the review, saying they had been working together on it for months.

“In the spirit of continued transparency and concern over the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church in the United States,” Gregory said he and Hartmayer “offered our full support and cooperation to Attorney General Chris Carr for a third party file review of both Georgia dioceses.” Gregory said Carr suggested Skandalakis of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council for the review, and “we have all agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the process” as well as the report to be issued after the review is completed. According to the memo, PAC will have sole control over the report—although the church will have a first look and the right to provide an additional report.

“I reiterate my genuine concern for all who have been hurt directly or indirectly by abuse of any kind by anyone and I renew my commitment to healing, transparency, and trust,” said Gregory, who has been promoted to archbishop of Washington, D.C. “This remains even as I prepare to take leave of this wonderful archdiocese. I believe this review is an important step in the long journey forward.”

The scope of the review is broad, based on the parameters outlined in the memo.

Hundreds of priests and churches in all of Georgia's 159 counties could be included. Access will not be restricted to just “credible allegations”—as in previous disclosures—but will encompass all complaints.

And PAC will have limited resources—basically the director, the deputy and an investigator. Others in the 10-prosecutor office have different specific areas of responsibility.

“It will be at least a year-long process,” Skandalakis said. “But we will get it done.”