In Spirit and Truth Reading Roundup: April Edition
Happy Easter friends! Here’s the latest In Spirit and Truth Reading Roundup, with news, analysis, and reflections related to the twin crises of sexual abuse and institutional betrayal in the Catholic Church.
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The Big Stories
Pope Francis met with and apologized to First Nations residential school survivors, and he promised to visit Canada to offer an apology there in the future. This story was widely covered in both secular and religious media, but I found this account from one survivor, who experienced both physical and sexual abuse at a residential school, particularly profound.
The Spanish bishops’ conference has established an independent commission for the investigation of clergy sexual abuse, after the Spanish Congress took steps to set up its own commission. Meanwhile, Portugal’s commission has received 290 victims’ reports since it launched in January, and the Church in Switzerland has commissioned a study led by university researchers
Under a recent settlement, the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey will pay $87.5 million to approximately 300 alleged sexual abuse victims, one of the largest ever settlements by a U.S. diocese. The diocese filed for bankruptcy after a statute of limitations lookback window allowed numerous civil lawsuits to move forward.
Other Notable News
A former Franciscan friar was convicted of sexually abusing La Jarvis Love as a child in a Mississipi Catholic school in the 1990s. (If you haven’t read the excellent 2019 piece highlighting the role of racial and socioeconomic injustice in the treatment of Love, it’s worth your time.)
The Vatican cleared of wrongdoing Polish Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, who served as Pope John Paul II’s personal secretary, after an investigation into his handling of a historical abuse case when he served as Archbishop of Krakow in 2012.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul released an update on his department’s investigation into sexual abuse by clergy and faith leaders, highlighting over 200 reports alleging abuse committed by 150 individuals. Little information about these reports or possible actions has been made public at this point.
For those of us in the United States, it’s easy to get caught up in what abuse awareness and prevention looks like in our own little corner of the Church, while forgetting that many other countries are just beginning to address this issue. This interview with a laywoman leading efforts in Colombia offered interesting insight.
I found the public comments by the independent ombudswoman addressing complaints for the Archdiocese of Montreal quite enlightening. I believe the fact that she is speaking openly about the difficulties and resistance she is facing, while continuing to push for positive progress, speaks well of this approach to accountability and change.
Going Deeper
“On the power of the Resurrection and healing from abuse” is a profound and thought-provoking reflection on this season of both trauma and joy.
I recognize there is often a tremenous gap between what church leaders say publicly and what happens behind the scenes. But this letter from the president of a Jesuit high school that recently settled a lawsuit brought by victims of abuse seems to speak to a more positive approach to historical wrongdoing.
This personal reflection by one survivor of adult abuse offers a thoughtful look at the spiritual dynamics of abuse, particularly the sacrilege that takes places when the Sacrament of Reconciliation is manipulated for abusive ends.
Daniel Horan’s opinion piece, “The church needs to name and confront 'clerical fragility'" is a thoughtful exploration of the disengagement of most clergy from the public reckoning with clerical sexual abuse.
Sometimes, Catholic leaders deflect discussion about sexual abuse within the Catholic Church by referring to abuse that happens in other contexts. This is a terrible excuse for not addressing abuse in our own community, and I hope you know that this is not my intention when I mention this: Sexual abuse, and the coverup of abuse by instutional leaders, is a widespread problem in our society. I regularly read stories about abuse and coverup in Protestant congregations, dance companies, global megachurches, reform Judaism, Boy Scouts, and other communities; over and over, I see similar patterns and similar devastation. This is not just a Catholic problem. (And recognizing that fact does not in any way let Catholics off the hook for dealing with this problem in our Church.)
Worthwhile Videos
Awake’s March event Why the Church Needs Survivors' Stories: A Conversation about the Sacred Art of Listening offered powerful insight from Paula Kaempffer and Fr. Jerry McGlone, two abuse survivors who now work within the Church for change and healing.
Although it’s now the Easter season, you may still appreciate taking some time to pray with Awake’s Lenten prayer service, Walking the Way of the Cross with Survivors. You can find the 30 minute video recording here or use the written text for your prayer; both include moving personal reflections from abuse survivors connecting their own experiences with those of Jesus.
I recently came across this short video featuring victim-survivor Jimmy Pliska of Scranton, Pennsylvania: Clergy Abuse Victims' Agonizing Choice: Take Settlement or Risk Lawsuit. It’s a really informative look at one of the difficult decisions some victim-survivors have to make in deciding how to move forward with their case.
If you find these posts helpful, please consider sharing with others who might be interested! And stay tuned for our next Survivors’ Voices post next week.
With gratitude,
Sara