In Spirit and Truth Reading Roundup - August Edition
Welcome to the August edition of the In Spirit and Truth Reading Roundup! As always, there’s been a lot happening, so I hope this helps you catch up and be informed.
(Don’t forget to sign up here if you want to catch the next Survivors’ Voices post, coming on September 13.)
The Big Stories
Former cardinal Theodore McCarrick is facing criminal charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old in 1974. McCarrick has already been served with five civil lawsuits, but this is the first criminal case brought against him. Charges are possible in this case because the alleged assault took place in Massachusetts, and the statute of limitations paused when McCarrick left that state. Arraignment is set for September 3rd.
New York state’s two year window suspending the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits by childhood sex abuse victims ended on August 14th. More than 9,000 suits were filed, many of these against Catholic entities, and four of New York’s eight dioceses have now filed for bankruptcy.
Bishops around the world continue to face consequences for misbehavior: retired Polish archbishop Marian Golebiewski was punished by the Vatican for negligence in responding to child sex abuse allegations in his diocese. Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Brazilian Bishop Tomé Ferreira da Silva after a recording of the bishop masturbating on a video call became public. Argentine Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta, who was given a job in the Vatican while under investigation by both civil and Vatican authorities, is now facing a criminal trial for sexual abuse in Argentina.
Other Notable News
The Attorney General investigation in Wisconsin continues, in spite of the lack of cooperation from Catholic dioceses. More than 100 reports have been made so far, and two cases in Brown County have been referred for prosecution.
Former priest Brian Devlin has published a new book describing his experience as a whistleblower who tried to shed light on abuse by Scottish archbishop Keith O’Brien. This short introduction is a powerful reflection on what it costs to tell the truth when people in power would prefer that you remain silent.
This is a small, local story about the parole hearing for a Louisiana priest convicted of molesting a teenager, but it offers some valuable insight into what comes next for both victim and perpetrator after a conviction.
The title says it all on this painful piece: “A survivor’s quagmire | Two decades after a Cheshire woman reported clergy abuse, she’s back to square one, again. Was her file lost or destroyed?”
While most Catholic dioceses in the United States have already posted lists of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse, some stragglers still remain. The Diocese of Fresno, California finally posted their list this month.
Going Deeper
David Clohessy, the former director of SNAP, argued that the only way for Catholics to stop the steady “drip, drip, drip” of abuse reports is to actively encourage victims to come forward and seek civil and criminal justice, to “rip the bandaid off” once and for all.
Two sisters in Ireland offered poignant reflections on what it is like to finally speak out about abuse that happened almost 50 years ago: “All through my teenage years and my twenties I put huge energy into hiding this part of me because I was so ashamed. During this process, the legal process, and going to court, I feel I left my shame with the person that needed to carry it, which was [the abuser].”
Rachael Denhollander, the lawyer and advocate who was the first former gymnast to publicly come forward about abuse by Larry Nassar, is one of my personal heroes. Her opinion piece about the difficult road faced by abuse survivors when making reports to civil authorities is worth a read. (When we tell victims to “just go to the police,” we have to remember what a painful - and often futile - process that can be.)
A recent survey funded by America Media found that most U.S. Catholic don’t even know who Theodore McCarrick is. Executive editor Kerry Weber argues that this lack of awareness is a serious problem for the Church.
For any fellow theology/liturgy nerds out there, check out this thoughtful piece: “Bring Back the Imprecatory Psalms.” Maybe these psalms - which plead for God to bring judgment against the wicked - are exactly what our spirits need when we see evil and corruption in our Church.
Worthwhile Videos
This 16 minute New York Times video about Catholic reporter Jason Berry is definitely worth your time, especially if your understanding of the abuse crisis only goes back to the Boston Spotlight reports in 2002. Berry began reporting on sexual abuse and cover up in the Catholic Church beginning in 1985, and the clips in this video provide a stark reminder of how hard he (and many others) had to fight to get people to pay attention - and how quickly that attention faded.
I found this “Catholic Guide to Understanding and Treating Clergy Abuse Survivors” presentation by licensed professional counselor Therese Cirner quite valuable.
“The Priest's Confession: What the Catholic Bishops Knew” tells the story of an former priest in Quebec who, while in prison, provided a confession for his victims to use in a class-action lawsuit against the Catholic diocese. Paul-André Harvey claimed that he told church officials about his crimes on multiple occasions, and this piece asks hard questions about why church superiors rarely face charges.
The Trinity Forum hosted an online conversation with psychologist and author Dr. Diane Langberg on the topic of her book, “Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church.” It’s a fascinating discussion.
Thank you for reading. I’ll be off next Monday for Labor Day, but I’ll see you the week after for the next Survivors’ Voices post.
Wishing you strength and peace,
Sara