In Spirit and Truth Reading Roundup: October Edition
Welcome to the October edition of the In Spirit and Truth Reading Roundup!
For those of you who are new subscribers, this is a monthly summary of news, analysis, and reflections related to the twin crises of sexual abuse and leadership failures in the Catholic Church.
My goal is to provide a simple way for readers to stay informed about what’s happening, but if this is not of interest to you, no worries. Next week, I’ll be back to the Survivors’ Voices posts, with an important topic that is sure to generate some passionate responses.
The Big Stories
An independent commission launched by the Bishops' Conference of France released its final report this month, making headline news even in the United States. (You can read the complete report here.) The report estimated that 330,000 children have been abused by Catholic leaders in that country since 1950, approximately 216,000 of them by clergy. Articles from the Associated Press and The Pillar offer some additional details. Adam DeVille’s analysis focuses on the recommendations made in the report that might be important for the U.S. Catholic Church.
The historic sex abuse trial taking place in the Vatican City criminal court ended with acquitals for both priests who were accused of abuse and cover up in the Vatican preseminary. The court cited insufficient evidence and statutes of limitations.
Gonzaga University recently released a report with recommendations for how the university should handle the clergy abuse crisis and specifically the university’s ties to abusive Jesuit priests. As might be expected, response has been mixed. To learn more about the history of Jesuit abuse in Native Alaskan communities - and how many of these priests ended up on Gonzaga’s campus, take some time with Reveal’s excellent podcasts on the subject: Sins of the Father and Unrepentant.
In a bit of good news for those who have experienced abuse during their adult years, the new Vatican safeguarding institute has broadened its scope to include addressing the sexual and spiritual abuse of adults and the disputed definition of “vulnerable adult.” This development may also be tied to new Vatican attention to various forms of abuse within congregations of consecrated or religious life.
Details continue to unfold about the behavior of Father David Huneck, a former high school chaplain, who is accused of inviting teenage girls to his home, giving them alcohol, and assaulting them in the summer and fall of 2021. One of these courageous women (who is now an adult) has spoken out publicly about what she experienced. In one small piece of positive news, this young woman says she has “felt completely supported every step of the way,” including by the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.
Other Notable News
Father Gregory Loughney of Cresco, Pennsylvania was arrested after a sting operation caught him arriving for a meet-up with a person he had sent sexual messages to on Tinder, who he believed was a 15 year old boy. This is the latest in a line of priests caught preying on minors using electronic communications. (The case of another young priest, Father Robert McWilliams, is examined in this recent piecese: The Formation of a New Priest Who Abused Minors: How Did He Slip Past Seminary Screening Policies?)
Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis was appointed to be the new leader of the Diocese of Crookston, whose former bishop was removed from office for mishandling cases of sexual abuse. In a press conference, Cozzens spoke about working for healing and the need to “change the culture of the church.”
Two priests in the Lincoln Diocese were reassigned to restricted service after allegations of sexual misconduct. Situations like this can be very complicated, but SNAP offers some thought-provoking questions in their take on this news.
Three former seminarians of the Diocese of Cleveland are alleging sexual coercion by a young local priest, as well as an inadequate response by diocesan and seminary officials. I’ll be keeping an eye on the development of this story.
A planned memorial service for a popular priest who had been removed from ministry for credible allegations of sexual abuse was cancelled after objections from survivors and the intervention of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
In a unique case, the court system in England required the Diocese of Westminster to pay damages to an abuse survivor who was retraumatized by the way her diocese responded to her allegations, citing internal diocesan emails that dismissed her and labeled her as “needy” and “manipulative.”
Pope Francis recently released a letter sent to him by an abuse survivor, which she directed to the seminarians of the world, pleading with them to “be good priests” and to reject abuse, silence, and coverups.
People of color have often been left out of the conversation about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, but these Black men from Lousiana are breaking stereotypes and speaking out about their own childhood abuse.
This case in Nashville has received little attention, but the allegations of repeated mishandling of concerns about the behavior of a lay minister raise serious questions about the implementation of safe environment policies.
Going Deeper
In my opinion, not enough attention is paid to the long-lasting impact sexual abuse can have on entire families and communities. My friend Wendy recently told her story of seeking healing related to her late husband’s experience of sexual abuse. It’s worth a read.
Whistleblower Brian Devlin wrote an essay about the ethics of whistleblowing and how the church hierarchy can better respond to whistleblowers. This piece on the Awake blog also features the stories of two female whistleblowers who had a tremendous impact on their dioceses.
The Pillar offered a thoughtful analysis of the problems with Vos Estis, prompted by Archbishop Timothy Dolan’s glowing words about retiring Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio; Dolan was tasked with investigating DiMarzio when allegations of sexual abuse surfaced in 2020.
Forgiveness in the aftermath of sexual abuse is a complicated and emotional issue, but this post on the Awake blog gives a careful consideration of the topic. For another thought-provoking perspective, take the time to read survivor Emily Ransom’s nuanced reflection on her own experiences and the way her desire for reconcilation and healing was cut off by the policies supposedly designed for her protection.
This Catholic theology professor offered insightful reflections on what the young women in her classes have taught her about the clergy abuse crisis and what she calls the “third scandal” - the Church’s relative silence on this important issue.
The Washington Post published this feature about the Maryland attorney general investigation into clergy sexual abuse in the state; the investigation was launched in 2018 but no information or updates have been released since then, to the great disappointment of survivors and advocates. This status list of AG investigations across the U.S. demonstrates that many state investigations are in a similar position.
Worthwhile Videos
Into Account recently released this powerful 3 minute video, featuring the voices and faces of 16 women who experienced abuse by Catholic composer David Haas. Please watch, share, and make sure your parish is no longer using music written by this predator.
My dear friend Esther Harber spoke about her rape by a Catholic priest at one of Awake’s Courageous Conversations last year, and a video clip of her story is now available. If you want to understand what abuse of adults in our Church really looks like, please take the time to watch.
If you have an interest in Catholic theology, you might appreciate Awake’s A Body of Broken Bones: The Ripple Effects of Abuse on the Body of Christ, a presentation by Dr. Marcus Mescher. (Short on time? You can also watch a playlist of highlights here.)
Dr. David Pooler’s talk for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Reclaiming Power and Making Safe Spaces is really interesting and informative.
Finally, if you need to center yourself in prayer after spending time with this difficult topic, I invite you to pray along with the recording of Awake’s recent Rosary with Survivors. It’s short and simple and beautiful.
This was a long one, I know. I just kept on finding more pieces I wanted to share!
Whether you simply skimmed through this post to catch the highlights or clicked on many links to learn more, I appreciate you taking the time to stay informed. I know it’s not easy, but it’s important.
See you next week, for an important Survivors’ Voices post!
~ Sara
Why is nothing mentioned about the investigation by the KBI in Kansas, which includes the Traditional group SSPX (Society of St. Pius X)? My rapist is one of their priests. Their headquarters is in Missouri?