The pope said it also is essential to “pursue the ascertainment of the truth and the restoration of justice in the ecclesial community, including in those cases where certain behaviors are not considered crimes by the law of the state, but are under canon law.” Efforts to help survivors heal are “a work of justice,” the pope told the group. “Precisely for this reason it is important to prosecute those who commit such crimes, especially in ecclesial contexts.” The perpetrators themselves “have the moral duty of a profound personal conversion that leads to recognition of their own vocational infidelity, to the resumption of the spiritual life and the humble request for forgiveness from the victims of their actions,” he said. Also, he said, efforts must continue to train priests and all pastoral workers in safeguarding so that “a genuine cultural change is promoted, placing at the center the smallest and most vulnerable in the church and in society.
The safeguard of confession. Too often, commentators quickly assume that mandatory reporting is the one fail-safe solution to deter abuse. While it’s clear why this has become a push for many activists, scholars focused on mandatory reporting have cautioned against simplistic conclusions. One study, for example, found measurably fewer confirmed reports of child maltreatment in the 11 states requiring clergy to report all or some of the time — compared with states without the requirement. What people may not understand is that by forcing clergy to become mandated reporters, we could inadvertently keep even more abuse hidden as abusers go underground. Likewise, it’s possible that a space for open confession may provide additional protection to victims by ensuring space exists for clergy to encourage bad actors to turn themselves in or helping to catch and deter concerning behaviors that could spiral.
The Archdiocese denies the allegations in legal filings. “I have not yet received a credible allegation against a priest, although I have received allegations,” the Archbishop said. When asked how many cases the Archdiocese has received in that time, he said there have been seven or eight accusations the church has had to investigate. The Archdiocese’s process for responding to an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor involves reporting the allegation to civil authorities and removing the accused priest from active ministry while an investigation is conducted by a qualified investigator. Asked why the Archdiocese has not published a list of credibly accused clergy, the Archbishop said that no one has given him a reason for doing so. “The most important thing is that our young people are being protected and that those who abuse are kept out of ministry for doing that,” he added.
In the realm of sexual crimes, a stark contrast exists in the level of media attention and public awareness when the perpetrators wear different hats, specifically, the robes of the Catholic Church versus the more secular attire of public school teachers or individuals from diverse spiritual beliefs. When allegations of sexual misconduct arise within the Catholic Church, the media responds with a resounding uproar that reverberates globally. Cases involving Catholic priests make headlines, sparking international outrage, and prompting discussions about accountability and reform. Furthermore, authors exploring themes of scandal and controversy within the Catholic Church frequently experience an unexpected surge in international fame.
A closer look at the largest survey of U.S. Catholic priests in 50 years has revealed “a major shift in how priests view themselves and their priesthood,” said researchers. Compared to their older peers, younger priests are far more likely to describe themselves as theologically orthodox or conservative, politically conservative or moderate, and prepared to be “first responders” to the abuse victims they encounter in their ministry. Furthermore, researchers noted “a significant proportion of American priests say that they had ‘personally experienced sexual harassment or abuse or suffered sexual misconduct’ during their formation or time in seminary.”
Seminaries currently have courses on pastoral theology or pastoral care, pastoral ministry and introduction to counseling “that’s very useful” to seminarians. However, trauma-informed care isn’t a part of current seminary formation, which they found would better prepare seminarians. “Trauma-informed pastoral care has been very recently developed in the last five to 10 years,” Berg explained. “So, this is not a criticism of seminaries, it’s just to say that there’s a lot of good stuff available out there, and it’s really helpful and it’s not hard to get your hands on, and we just need to get this into the thick of seminary pastoral formation and ministry.”
“It is our duty, everyone’s responsibility, to give voice to our voiceless sisters: women who are victims of abuse, exploitation, marginalization, and inappropriate pressure,” Pope Francis said. “Let us not remain indifferent! It is necessary to act now, at all levels, with determination, urgency, and courage.” According to the United Nations, nearly 1 in 3 women worldwide has been subjected to some form of either physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, a statistic that does not include sexual harassment.
No system is perfect, so cases are likely to crop up at least periodically. But the archdiocese has put in place a strong infrastructure for preventing and dealing with misconduct cases as — and if — they arise. I can no more turn my back on the church when it faces times of brokenness than I can turn my back on my family because of wrongdoing by some of my relatives. Indeed. The church is much bigger than the sinful perpetrators who have hurt and devastated the lives of children and others in the archdiocese. It belongs to us, and it is waiting to help us heal.
"I like to recall the very first words with which Pope Benedict described himself following his election: 'a humble labourer in the vineyard of the Lord.' Indeed, Christians, especially the Pope, the Cardinals and the Bishops, are called to be humble labourers: to serve, not to be served and to put the fruits of the Lord’s vineyard before their advantage." Pope Francis
A first-term Democratic lawmaker wants to enact an exception to state laws that allow clergy to refuse to disclose what was told to them in confession or similar confidential communication. But Rep. Stacey Travers of Phoenix has so far run into a procedural wall. Rep. Quang Nguyen, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, where her bill was assigned earlier this year, refused to even give it a hearing. "The seal of confession is a sacred, sacred part of the Catholic church," said Nguyen who is Catholic. "The seal of confession is never to be broken," he said. "And priests will go to jail for it."