Cardinal Sean O’Malley on sexual abuse crisis: ‘There is so much denial’

Yes, our Catholic Church has long been in denial as to the extent of sexual abuse of minors by its clergy. Fortunately Bishops in particular are now recognizing this widespread evil in the Church and positive steps to uproot it are underway, with much more to be done. Respectfully allow me to express the following point of view. .Denial or “coverup” is everywhere, not just in the Catholic Church. So I think it necessary that the United Nations investigate as well, all religions worldwide, not just the Catholic Church. Investigate too, the people in educational, medical, legal professions, the media, perhaps especially the media, all professions. And don’t overlook families where sexual abuse of minors does exist. In other words, to be fair and unbiased, let the United Nations investigate the whole world regarding the sexual abuse of minors. Finally, of equal importance, let a panel of properly invested independent investigators, investigate the private lives of the U.N. Investigators as part of an investigation of all U.N. employees worldwide. uncovering hopefully not, examples, even patterns, of the personal sexual abuse of minors. Let the United Nations sensitize the whole world to the enormity of the offense. I believe that comprehensive, just and unbiased world-wide U.N. investigations relative to the evil of sexual abuse of minors, will show that far from being a Catholic Church problem, it is instead a human problem – a human perversity problem, affecting all levels of humanity. I dare say that it will be discovered for those who do not yet realize it that, humanity at large is capable not only of sin, but also of criminal behavior, both consequences reflected in the sexual abuse of minors, a miserable commentary on Fallen human nature in need of repentance, forgiveness and when necessary appropriate punishment administered with mercy.

Patriarchy is the root of the sexual abuse crisis. As long as the institutional church continues to have a patriarchal structure, any measures to remedy the sexual abuse crisis will be little more than window dressing. Hierarchy is not the problem. Patriarchy is the problem. Let us pray for the ordination of celibate women to the priesthood. This would not be a miracle cure for all forms of human frailty, but would go a long way to prevent the recurrence of clerical sexual abuse. This brings to mind the Vatican process of intervention in the LCWR. I hope they stop messing around with the sisters and start facing their own denial of doctrinal aberrations that negate the full humanity of women assumed at the incarnation and redeemed by Christ's death and resurrection.

I leave decisions on doctrine (faith and morals) to the method Christ left us with (Apostolic Succession, a teaching Magisterium, protection from doctrinal error, Pope and Councils, etc.). I can have my opinions on these, but I know they are just that. While I am interested in seeing what various theologians, commentators and the ordinary blogger comes up with, I leave it to the Magisterium to separate the wheat from the chaff. But, I am particularly suspicious of ideas that offer some grand theory completely foreign to the Tradition, whether it is anti-Patriarchy, some form of sexual liberation or (and especially) scientology-lite ideas like "evolutionary consciousness". As to governance, the Church indeed needs to listen to those who have experience running organizations outside the Church. Here is my list of what needs to be done re child sex abuse, in this order of importance. 1) Protect kids from any harm: expand the zero policy from the US parishes to all Catholic dioceses across the world, but also to any institutions, such as schools, that care for children. This means a) speedy suspension from duties and swift police notification for any substantiated claim of abuse, b) prompt investigation both by the police and the Church/institution (as the latter are responsible even if police falter in their duty), c) criminal indictment if charge is credible, public exoneration and restoration if innocent (I am serious about the latter too, to avoid gross injustice to innocent priests and the falsely accused teacher, etc.). 2) Immediate investigation of any enabling bishop or head of a school who fails in #1 above, with a focus to the time period after these policies were promulgated. The case of Archbishop Wesolowski is a real test case for the Vatican. I will judge how effective and committed they are by how they handle this case, and will look to see what the new committee does. Conviction of actual abuse or willful enabling should result in prison sentences. 3) Care of those who were abused. This includes counselling and some financial support if needed. Try to keep exorbitant lawyer fees out of this part as the money will only come from future donors, many of who are poor themselves. (They should only receive pay for hours put in, not part or any settlement). 4) Resignation and defrocking of any proven pedophile cleric, teacher or school president. The same for any willful enabler, depending on guilt after an investigation. This should include any guilty bishop or cardinal, or lay person in the system. 5) Pope Francis' new committee should first focus on numbers 1-4 above, to protect and defend the children. But, then, they could establish methods for investigating past events of living priests and bishops, like Cardinal Law, or others who were acting under a different standard, before the zero policy was put in place, and only the cases where secular investigators have decided not to prosecute (for efficiency sake). For Bishops, they should be urged to tell their full story under oath, to the committee. Relevant witnesses should be brought forward, interrogated as well. Any resistance to the process should be looked upon as evidence against the bishop, at least requiring resignation. I am very resistant to trial-by-media, or trial-by-statistics, or trial-by-SNAP, as they are not credible and not really seeking justice. 6) Even for convicted pedophiles and enablers, while they are in prison or in retirement (if they do not deserve prison, based on the above process), they should be urged to acknowledge their sins, repent and reform their lives (I am sure some are on this route already). But, the church should never withhold the sacraments from those who repent, even as it offers the sacraments to death row criminals. 7) Expansion of this process to the public schools and all secular institutions. The UN and USA government statistics indicate over 99% of child abuse occurs outside the Church (as expected given the demographics), so I am especially suspicious of any activist or organization who is only interested in protecting children from pedophile priests or enabling priests, but shows little interest in the vast majority of abused children. They are more likely interested in weakening the doctrine of the Church and separating us from the true Gospel than in protecting the children.

It's apparent that there are others in the hierarchy who have different opinions. http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/cardinal-kasper-popes-theologian-downplays-vatican-blast-us-nuns

Isn't the pedophilia denial in the Church over the past two decades a symptom of a larger issue--the Clericalism in the Church? Many in the clergy, particularly in the hierarchy, believe "they know best" about virtually anything to do with the Church, ignoring the wisdom, expertise and commitment of the laity, and the Sisterhood.There is a "circle the wagons" mentality, a willingness to treat, and protect, fellow-priests as members of a brotherhood who are a bit above normal civil institutions and laws. I firmly believe that if we had married priests with their own children in the past the apparent willingness of many clergy to close their eyes to the aberrant behavior of fellow clerics when in contact with children would not have been tolerated, and perhaps even more so if we had women priests ( I'm not advocating for ordination of woman just for this issue, that's a debate for another day). As the availability of priests shrinks, more responsibilities in parishes and dioceses will have to be delegated to lay persons, it is already beginning. Most of the financial administration of the Church could be handled by competent laity, and that might put a stop, for instance, to the lax oversight of accountability for funds in many parishes and dioceses. Priests should use their time for administering the sacraments, counseling and teaching, not in deciding how to repair parish property etc. when lay persons in the parish make their living in such activities. Some younger priests are beginning to act less self-important (not all) but are also held back by a concern about censure from more senior priests and diocesan authorities. Clericalism is a way of life for so many older clergy members and it will take time to change. Perhaps the humility and example of this new Pope will begin to change behavior. I am convinced that the Devil infiltrated the Church in recent decades, enabling seminaries to loosen vetting standards that allowed for the ordination of individuals who should not have been made priests, and also allowing for the denial of pedophilia when it became apparent that it was a major issue in the clergy worldwide. this scandal is truly a victory of the Devil's. I pray for the opening up of the Church, the clergy and the hierarchy in particular, to the grace that God provides for those who ask sincerely for guidance in decision-making. The Vatican needs fresh air, this Pope appears to be acting under the grace of God in trying to change the culture, but it will be a decades-long struggle, beyond most of our lifetimes, as it has taken many centuries to arrive at the sorry state of Church Administration of the present time. Doctrine and preservation of the Faith as Jesus taught us is vital to the Church, but needs to be administered in a culture of openness to all in the Church. My understanding of the Church is that it consists of the Laity, the Religious, and the Saints in Heaven. For too long the Laity have been second-class citizens, perhaps it will change in the future?

I note that "Irish abuse victim and campaigner" Marie Collins is on the new Papal Committee re child abuse and I fully agree with Cardinal Sean O'Malley that there indeed "so much denial" about the issue. Much of this denial comes from within the ranks of child abuse campaigners themselves who either propagate false atrocity stories OR remain silent when the stories are proved to be false. Remaining silent ensures that similar bouts of hysteria erupt elsewhere. I posted the following recent on the "Mother Jones" website in relation to allegations that children were murdered in a residential school in Florida. It is a reprise of similar discredited scandals in Ireland: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/02/returning-to-dozier-florida-school-for-boys QUOTE "At least 96 children died at Dozier between 1914 and 1973, according to school records, and while state officials say there’s no proof, former students insist that some of the deaths were the result of foul play. Boys of all races were routinely, brutally, and even fatally beaten by staff, they allege; some were raped, and “runners” were fired upon—at least seven kids were reported dead after trying to escape." ENDQUOTE Well now, how very familiar this is. In Ireland over a period of ten years, we had numerous claims that children had been murdered in orphanages and reformatory schools run by the Christian Brothers and the Sisters of Mercy. Some of these allegations relate to periods when no child died of ANY cause. Accordingly I coined the phrases "Murder of the Undead" and "Victimless Murders" (try Googling these). I was told that one Garda (Police) Superintendent was furious at the amount of police time wasted by his predecessor in searching for the bodies of these "murdered" children. Of course if his predecessor had declined to involve himself in this lunacy, he would have been accused of being in the pocket of the Catholic Church! This hysteria has more or less died away now in Ireland but how lovely to see that it's started in the good old USA! I did a summary of most of the Irish child-killing claims in the following essay - which may give you an inkling of how things are likely to develop in your country. Happy hunting! http://irishsalem.com/irish-controversies/allegations-of-child-killing-1996to2005/SunTribune25May06.php