Catholic Church Persist in Ignoring Roots of Clergy Sexual Abuse

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ovide Bastien
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Clergy Sexual Abuse

Feminist Theology and the Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 632-652
Author(s):  
Susan A. Ross
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Feminist Theology ◽  
Sexual Ethics ◽  
Clergy Sexual Abuse ◽  
Patriarchal Power ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Catholic Church

The clergy sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church is complex. While first and foremost a terrible violation of victims, it is not only about sex or abuse. It concerns unchecked, divinely sanctioned patriarchal power and its devastating consequences. The author reviews the theological issues at stake, including patriarchy, sexuality and sexual ethics, and sin. She argues that addressing the roots of the crisis calls for taking seriously the contributions of feminist theologians to the thinking of the church, especially about establishing relationships of mutuality and equality between clergy and laity.

Clergy Sexual Abuse and the Media

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen J. Terry
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Clergy Sexual Abuse ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Catholic Church

Media attention on child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church led to awareness of a serious social problem and increased the levels of disclosure of abuse. The three “emergencies of clerical sexual abuse in the media” occurred in 1985, 1993, and 2002 (Maniscalco, 2005). The catalyst for the media coverage was high-profile clergy offenders with multiple victims and in 2002 also included the claims of cover-ups by high-ranking cardinals in the United States. Most victims of clergy sexual abuse disclosed their abuse decades after the abuse occurred, and the increased rates of disclosure coincided with the three periods of increased reporting in the media. Though the constant reporting in the media led to some misconceptions about CSA generally and CSA within the Catholic Church, it also led to policy changes in how the church responded to allegations of abuse and aimed to prevent future acts of abuse.

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