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We must heal the divisions caused by sexual abuse |
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By Archbishop John C. Nienstedt
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Thursday, 08 April 2010 |
On March 14, 2010, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, made a pastoral visit to Christuskirche, the Lutheran church in Rome, and pointed out that human sinfulness has fractured the unity that should mark the global Christian community. Therefore, he said, Christians have the responsibility to work and pray to heal their divisions.
 That
They May All
Be One
Archbishop John C. Nienstedt
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I would like to suggest in this column that this same message should be directed within our Catholic Church, specifically in this moment when so much media is again focused on the past actions of priests involved in the sexual abuse of children, as well as on the failure of some bishops to respond adequately to reports of that abuse.
A study undertaken by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice reported
last November that the height of reported sexual abuse cases by priests
occurred during the 1960s and 1970s. This clergy abuse was concurrent
with the so-called “sexual revolution,” resulting in a high incidence of
sexual promiscuity, divorce and drug use within our culture.
The report suggests that the church was not immune from these
influences: “The incidence of abuse of youth in the Catholic Church
between 1950 and 2002 is consistent with the pattern of social change in
the USA.”
This, of course, is not mentioned to exonerate the heinous actions of
the church’s ministers. But keeping the context in mind does help to
provide some perspective in light of some of the more extreme claims
made against the church in the midst of such scandals. Other
denominations and organizations regrettably had their own incidence of
sexual abuse of children.
Pope has been helpful
Moreover, recent attempts to insinuate the involvement of Pope Benedict
XVI with all this are, to my mind, both misguided and unfair.
As New York’s Archbishop Timothy Dolan has pointed out, no one was more
helpful to the American hierarchy, and the church at large, in 2002 than
Cardinal Ratzinger.
He understood the depths of the crisis facing the American church at the
time, and he helped provide the canonical assistance we needed in order
to address the terrible scourge of sexual abuse in the “Charter for the
Protection of Children and Young People.” (The “Charter for the
Protection of Children and Young People” can be accessed by clicking on
the “Protection for Children and Youth Initiative ” icon on the home page
of the archdiocese’s Web site, www.archspm.org. You will also find
answers to questions you may have about this initiative.)
Later, during his pastoral visit to the United States of America in
2008, Pope Benedict spoke to the difficult issue directly:
“Among the countersigns to the Gospel of life found in America and
elsewhere is one that causes deep shame: the sexual abuse of minors. Many of you have spoken to me of the enormous pain that your communities
have suffered when clerics have betrayed their priestly obligations and
duties by such gravely immoral behavior. As you strive to eliminate
this evil wherever it occurs, you may be assured of the prayerful
support of God’s people throughout the world.
“Rightly you attach priority to showing compassion and care to the
victims,” he continued. “It is your God-given responsibility as pastors
to bind up the wounds caused by every breach of trust, to foster
healing, to promote reconciliation and to reach out with loving concern
to those so seriously wronged.”
Working to protect youth
Since 2002, the Catholic Church in this country has worked harder than
any other organization that I can think of to put into place measures to
protect young people as well as to reach out to former victims. A
statement of the facts is helpful here:
Catholic dioceses around this country have invested more than $21
million for child protection efforts, including training programs,
background checks and salaried positions. Almost 6 million students in
Catholic schools or religious education programs have participated in
safe environment training. Over 2 million priests, deacons, seminarians,
educators, employees and volunteers have had background checks.
Here in the archdiocese, over 76,000 background checks have been made
and safe environment training has involved 13,000 church employees,
including clergy as well as 30,000 volunteers.
These efforts are causing a cultural change in our Church which will
permeate other areas of society. Last week, the 2009 Annual Report of
the Charter’s Implementation reported that allegations of abuse were
down by 30% in that year and the great majority of the cases submitted
were several decades old.
Different situation today
Thus, the situation today is far different and indeed safer than it was
30 or 40 years ago. Yet, what I continue to read in the media sounds
like a Monday morning quarterback reviewing videos of games from 30
years ago. Would things have been different 30 years ago if we knew then
what we know now? I am sure they would have been.
Our approach to psychology back in the 1960s and 1970s was also quite
different than it is now. Those who were in positions of authority then
believed that the compulsion to abuse children could be “fixed” by
therapy offered by psychologists and psychiatrists. They had no reason
to question a report that came back after treatment saying the therapy
had worked and that the offender should be given a second chance. We
know now that this is not necessarily the case, but that was not known
in the ’60s and ’70s.
Focus on healing
Let me be clear when I again state that sexual molestation of any kind
is indefensible. It is a sin that cries out for forgiveness. We can
perhaps never apologize enough for what has taken place. We must direct
ourselves to the healing of the victims.
But, whatever was the case 30 years ago, which affected church-related
and non-related organizations, the bishops today, as well as the pope,
have a much different understanding of what needs to be done.
I wish we could go back to undo the harm that was done years ago. But,
unfortunately, we cannot. What we can and must do is make sure it
doesn’t happen today.
During this Easter season, when we celebrate in a special way our
oneness in the Risen Christ, it is all the more essential that we
address this specific fracture to our unity as a church that has been
caused by sinful behavior.
More than anything else, we, as Catholics, have the responsibility to
work and pray to heal these divisions. One way to do so is to join the
Knights of Columbus worldwide to pray a novena for Pope Benedict XVI
beginning Divine Mercy Sunday, April 11, and concluding on Monday, April
19. Prayers are available at www.kofc.org.
I ask that parishes, families and Catholic institutions join in this
novena to pledge our prayerful solidarity with the Holy Father.
Thank you and God bless you!
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