Below is an excerpt from Fintan O’Toole’s column in The Irish Times yesterday.
Two words stand out large: TOXIC SILENCE.
That toxic silence reigns supreme right across the clerical Catholic Church, and add to that: ANONYMITY and OBSESSIVE SECRECY.
The words historical and shocking should never be used when talking/writing about clerical child sex abuse.
Toxic silence, obsessive secrecy and anonymity are deeply embedded in clericalism. These terms have nothing at all to do with confidentiality.
Many of those who were experiencing abuse report entering a state of mental dislocation, forcing their minds to sunder themselves from their tormented bodies. But even those of us fortunate enough not to have been abused were also forced into distorted states of consciousness – suppressing what we were seeing, colluding with abusers by being glad they were picking on someone other than ourselves, learning early the required habits of toxic silence.
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Archbishop Farrell spoke on this topic recently and said, amongst other things, "It is possible to go further, and speak even of a ‘culture of denial’ with respect to sexual abuse".
The bishops are part of that ongoing culture of denial. There has been zero acknowledgement of how the seminary system, the lack of psychological formation, and the systematic negativity about human sexuality (all of which still persist today) have played a role, with the bishops as the cheer leaders and enabler, front and centre.
There has been no acknowledgement of how dehumanizing enforced celibacy has been for many clergy, with mental health issues, psycho-sexual issues, alcoholism, gambling and other addictions a common experience for many. The bishops seem to have been far more interested in having sacrament provision via ordained men than in furthering the gospel.
The consistent erasure of women, particularly lay women, form the face of the church, still reinforced today by most bishops, has been the model and exemplar for how many of the clergy treated women, as objects of little use and no worth.
There has been no apology from the bishops collectively about how they have treated gay Catholics over the years.
There has been no apology from the bishops collectively about how they have treated gay seminarians and clergy over the years, often dismissing them in the dead of night with no future prospects, no dignity, and no rights, without provision for income or education (so much respect for the provisions of canon law).
There has been no apology from the bishops collectively about how they have treated married couples, burdening them morally, economically, and mentally by saying that recourse to contraception was seriously sinful.
Perhaps the bishops should seek to become reacquainted with Matthew 7:3-5.
Perhaps a collective apology for their overbearing haughtiness, abuse of power, and utter callousness in the face of so much suffering might be a good place to start.
Perhaps they might just admit that they have been the true progenitors of the culture of denial, not just about child abuse, but also about the considerable damage they have done to good women, men, and children across the church. When that acknowledgement has been made, then perhaps society might heed the call to follow suit.
What are the chances?
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