In Spirit and Truth Reading Roundup: December Edition
Welcome to the December edition of the In Spirit and Truth Reading Roundup, with news, analysis, and reflections related to the twin crises of sexual abuse and leadership failures in the Catholic Church. While the articles in “The Big Stories” and “Other Notable News” are definitely worth your time, I would also encourage you to read some of the thought-provoking pieces in this month’s “Going Deeper” section. There’s a lot worth considering there.
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, whether it was an elaborate affair with lots of food and family or a simple celebration at home. May this next year bring all of us peace and joy.
The Big Stories
In the wake of the French commission’s report on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, attention to this issue continues to grow around the world. The Church in Spain is set to open an investigation into allegations against 251 priests and lay leaders uncovered by the newspaper El Pais and reported directly to Pope Francis. The Swiss bishops' conference and conference of religious orders have also ordered a study into abuse in their country. New Zealand’s Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that the Catholic Church “has not taken sufficient steps to reduce” structural barriers to reporting abuse, and one cardinal even told the commission he doesn’t know why disgraced Bishop Charles Drennan remains a bishop.
In the Philippines, where no priest has ever been convicted of child sexual abuse and barriers to accountability remain high, American priest Fr. Kenneth Hendricks was arrested and detained for allegedly abusing dozens of boys earlier this month. In East Timor, defrocked missionary priest Richard Daschbach (also an American) was found guilty of abusing young girls for years at the orphanage he ran, which is the first such conviction in this heavily-Catholic country.
New allegations of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy continue regularly in the United States, including many instances that occured in recent years. Just a sampling of stories from the past few weeks: A high school chaplain in Indiana facing multiple recent sex crimes charges filed a plea agreement. Another high school chaplain, this time in Wisconsin, was sentenced to one year of probation for fourth degree sexual assault of a minor. (The victim and her family are devastated by the light sentence.) The Michigan attorney general announced an investigation into a priest for sending inappropriate texts to high schoolers. A DC priest was convicted of sexually abusing an adult woman during confession. In a particularly disturbing case, a former priest who headed the Arlington Diocese Office of Child Protection and Safety from 2004 to 2011 is facing charges for sexual assault of a minor.
Other Notable News
In state-level political developments, recent statute of limitations reform in North Carolina is in jeopardy as Superior Court judges ruled the “look back window” passed in 2019 unconstitutional. Changes to state child abuse laws may be coming in Ohio, thanks to the efforts of Catholic advocates meeting with lawmakers. New York’s Adult Survivors Act would allow those who were abused as adults to pursue justice - and is being supported by a diverse coalition of survivors, including victims of a former track coach. (The video here is quite powerful.)
The Vatican declared that California’s Fr. Scott McCarthy was invalidly removed from ministry in 2018. McCarthy appealed to the Holy See after his name was included on the Diocese of Monterey’s list of priests credibly accused of abusing a minor, and he is now allowed to exercise priestly ministry again.
Pope Francis approved a small update in canon law that allows a cleric to be canonically prosecuted “even when they say they were not aware that a person with whom they had sexual contact was a minor.” This may seem like a small change, but it could make a real difference in addressing the kind of sex crimes that are becoming more likely today.
Survivor Ron Vasek’s allegations of coverup by Bishop Michael Hoeppner led to Hoeppner’s resignation from the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota in 2019. Bishop Andrew Cozzens was recently installed to lead the troubled diocese and met with Vasek and invited him to attend the installation Mass.
Going Deeper
The funeral Mass for prominent abuse survivor and advocate Phil Saviano was held in the very church where he was abused as a child. His friend Terry McKiernan offered a thoughtful reflection on the power of this gesture - and the complex spiritual lives of survivors. Make sure you take time to read this one.
This heart-wrenching narrative from a survivor of sexual assault by her college chaplain sounds so much like the experiences of other survivors I know. It’s a hard but important read, especially because it points to continued mishandling of allegations of abuse of adults in the U.S. Catholic Church. (Note this story from Charleston, where a priest accused of sexual exploitation of an adult was returned to ministry four months after being placed on leave.)
“I Was Sexually Abused by a Priest. Then I Became A Priest. Here's What I Know Now.” is a powerful and complicated story to consider.
I recently came across this reflection from gay Catholic author Eve Tushnet, who explores the distinction between what some have called a “homosexual subculture” in the Catholic priesthood and what she argues could more accurately be referred to as a harmful “closeted subculture.” I think her analysis is worth considering.
Worthwhile Videos
The University of Scranton hosted a panel of survivors and advocates, who shared their own stories and perspectives on “Sexual Abuse, the Catholic Church, and the Responsibility of the Laity.” Watch for the powerful personal testimonies of the survivors and a self-proclaimed “angry Catholic,” as well as a brief 10 minute history of the survivors’ movement by researcher Brian Clites.
My friend Dorothy Small spoke at a SNAP press conference drawing attention to new church laws that criminalize the abuse of adults. You can view a video at the above link, as well as a two minute exerpt here.
The Uncommon Conversation film “records and preserves perspectives and experiences of several persons involved in the Catholic sex abuse crisis,” based on a “process that models how members of the community can listen and speak of the pain and harm experienced.” I have not seen the film itself, but even the trailer is quite powerful and intriguing.
Rachel Denhollander is one of my personal heroes, not only because of her courageous leadership in revealing the sexual abuse of gymnastics coach Larry Nassar, but because of her continued advocacy. She does a lot of work with efforts to address sexual abuse in Protestant churches, and though she draws from her own Christian faith, she doesn’t pull any punches. This keynote talk given for GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christan Environment) is a powerful example of her well-informed approach.
Thank you for reading and sharing. I’ll see you next week, for our January Survivors’ Voices post!
Peace,
Sara
PS: If you want to go beyond reading and becoming informed, please consider financially supporting the efforts of Catholics (like me!) seeking to respond to the abuse crisis with compassion and courage. A year-end donation to Awake Milwaukee would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for considering this!