'The Cross of the Moment': A new report exposing systemic failures in the Church

Another report on the sexual abuse of minors in the Church was published last week. The report titled, ‘The Cross of the Moment’, was the fruit of research conducted by a team of three academics (Drs Pat Jones, Marcus Pound and Catherine Sexton) at Durham University’s Center for Catholic Studies. Yes, there have been multiple reports and investigations into the extent of abuse in the Church and its failures to respond. We have had a number of commissions of investigation here in Ireland and also in the US, the UK and other European countries such as France and Germany. These reports focused on the failure of leadership in the Church and inadequate child safeguarding practices but ‘The Cross of the Moment’ is in a different category. As far as I am aware, it is one of the few studies to research systemic, cultural and structural issues which have enabled the climate of abuse to contaminate and poison the ecclesial body politic.

The research, based on 82 interviews with survivors, abusers, bishops etc and some focus groups, critiques the theology which underpins practices, customs and structures facilitating abuse and the cover-ups. The Church has never really faced this fundamental issue and as one of the Fathers of Vatican 11 pointed out (Cardinal Maximos Saigh ), repressed truth turns poisonous. For that reason I was particularly interested in this report. I have always felt that systemic issues must be addressed if people are to feel safe in the Church. Safeguarding protocols, which are so important, will be reinforced if abusive an culture, customs and practices and the theology underpinning them are honestly addressed.

The researchers identified clericalism as perhaps the most pernicious factor contaminating the ecclesial culture. It is identified as “a structure of power that isolates clergy and sets priests above and apart, granting them excessive authority, trust, rights, and responsibilities while diminishing the agency of lay people.” It is an ideology invisible to those held captive by it. In other words, it is so pervasive in the ecclesial culture that priests and bishops are unaware of it.

Clericalism is observed in attitudes and perceptions which view priests “as superior, god-like, on pedestals, untouchable.” The priest is seen as an icon of Christ and therefore assumed to be holy by default. Researchers identified a sense of superiority which is evident in the attitude of some priests. They concluded that this arises from an elitist and exclusivist vision of vocation that interprets ministry “as a power to be exercised rather than as a free and generous service to be given.” The theology which supports this perception needs to be challenged. It leads to an idealisation of priesthood in that it is perceived as a higher calling than that of the laity. Theologian Gerard Arbuckle claims that such a perception can so easily be linked to a sense of entitlement, exclusion of laity and abuse of power. When priests are seen as superior, it generates a culture of deference and people do not feel able to question or challenge them.

Priests, caught up in such a mindset, often feel quite empty and lost inside. They know that they cannot possibly live up to the expectations placed on them. They seek refuge behind a persona that is not genuine. Many feel unable to cope with their vulnerability, with their human flaws and emotional struggles. They feel emotionally isolated and inadequate. Lacking in spiritual maturity, it is a very small step to seek to address the emptiness inside either, for example, through alcohol or boundary transgressions. They can develop totally inappropriate relationships with children or young adults and subsequently abuse them.

One significant finding from the research is that people would much rather see and experience priests in their real humanity as flawed and vulnerable.

The researchers claim that behind clericalism there is a more pernicious culture, labelled ‘hierarchicalism’, which they define as the exclusive power and culture of the episcopacy. They point out that bishops have no real accountability for any of their actions, arguing that this leads to impunity as there are no consequences when they act wrongly. There are no structured mechanisms “through which those affected by decisions can raise concerns and enter dialogue”. The only channel open to them is individual emails to bishops. Neither is there any opportunity for feedback to enable the wider community of faith to feel that their views and concerns have been taken seriously. The editor in the Tablet magazine commented that bishops are essentially slotted into a feudal structure with no checks and balances as we have in a democracy.

The report concludes that structures of accountability must be created for all levels of Church governance. Priests and bishops must be accountable to parishioners. and some form of line management needs to be put in place whereby clergy can reflect on their practice. Like all other practitioners in the caring professions clergy could decide to have regular supervision with an accredited supervisor.