Safeguarding in the Church Universal

Fr. Zollner's article, “The Spiritual Wounds of Sexual Abuse,” was translated and published in English in La Civilta Cattolica. As is his work, this article is a clear and powerful statement of Fr. Zollner and the CCP's approach to child protection. It is practical, honest and deeply caring with a keen sense of history and cultural impact. In one of the best articles we've found on the dynamics behind the crisis, Fr. Zollner explores how predatory priests have been able  to abuse any vulnerable person – child or adult. He details the contributing factors in how abuse has been able to flourish in the Church. This article is a clear assessment of the pitfalls that foster abuse and best practices promoting change.

It’s worth the read. Here's a preview: 

The battle against sexual abuse will last for a while, so we must not delude ourselves into thinking that the solution simply lies in introducing new rules and guidelines. What is needed is a radical conversion and a decisive attitude to render justice to the victims and  to make sure it never happens again. The message of the God of Jesus Christ is the source and strength of our efforts and for our continual  reflection on the core of the Gospel: because God loves the little ones  and the vulnerable most of all….

Speaking at Villanova University, Fr. Zollner explained with conviction and compassion that due to clergy sexual abuse:

...much damage has been done to the Church but more damage has been done to human beings.... many people are engaged in the same mission: a safer church and a safer world.

Questions for your personal journal and for discussions with others

You resign your job running the UN (see last week) because it's too stressful and, in retirement, decide to devote your many language skills to promote child safeguarding by working with the Church. Your first assignment lands you in a wealthy, stable, rural setting in sub-Saharan Africa where a girl may be wed as young as age ten as a practical way for a father to secure a her lifelong financial support. The child protection program you are presenting threatens what seems to locals like an obviously successful system, which insulates them from the economic and social tumult they see in neighboring areas, where, by the way, child marriage has been outlawed with success. Your hosts argue that, because you are from the West, you cannot possibly know what is a moral good for people with their unique set of circumstances. Admittedly, you can recognize compelling differences. Write the community your best effort to persuade them to change radically. 

List all the reasons you think child abuse has occurred in the Church. Then, please read or reread Fr. Zollner's The Spirit Wounds of Child Abuse (above). What main factors does Fr. Zollner enumerate that contribute to child abuse in the Church? How does his list compare to yours? What was the most significant difference between the lists? Share the lists with a family member, friend, or pastor. Did they know about this work in the Church beyond the United States? Record their and your own reactions in your journal.

What are five Scriptural verses that you think address the damage created by child abuse in the Church? Using these verses, write and share a prayer for the survivors and their family members, assuring them of their dignity and their rightful place at the table of the Lord. Why don't you share this prayer and pray it with family or friends? Or, share it with your pastor to see if the parish might pray it together? 

This broadcast is for you to follow and learn - and heal from the impact of clergy abuse in our Church on your life. It is also for your family and friends to follow and discuss. It's set up in modules so you can do so in convenient timing for your own lives. Not near each other? Is your parish better served with small discussions online, rather than evening gatherings at the center or church? Here are some of our favorite ways to connect online for faith discussions. Why not start your own online discussion group?

Rev. Stephen J. Rossetti, Phd, MDiv, provides a brief history of child abuse  in the Catholic Church, since the earliest documented incidents through the turn of the century.

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