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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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The Evening Post
March 27, 2002

Children, not priests are Church's victims

A worldwide scandal is enveloping the Roman Catholic Church involving priests who sexually abuse children. The Church in the US has recently agreed to multimillion-dollar payouts to victims of a defrocked priest and in the past two months alone, 55 priests in 17 dioceses have been suspended, put on leave or forced to resign or retire. Last weekend, Pope John Paul II broke his silence on the subject. He seemed to be saying, "Never mind the kids; what about the Church?" The worldwide scandal, he said, was undermining its moral authority.

Such crimes and cover-ups are not confined to the US or the Catholic Church, however; Anglican clergy too have their names engraved on the roll of dishonour. And they are not the only religious denominations - or professions - to stand so accused.

In Australasia, child molestation by members of the Church has been highlighted by the controversy surrounding Australian Governor General Dr Peter Hollingworth. Formerly Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane, he has stubbornly clung to the vestiges of his reputation in the teeth of plummeting public regard. Dr Hollingworth is accused of having covered up cases of sexual abuse while Archbishop and of commenting in the whitest heat of the row that followed in a way that some believe condoned a priest's sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. He has apologised - several times - but Australians are having none of it.

Why do Churches harbour, then protect so many sexual predators? The answer, of course, is partly that they are afraid of publicity damaging an institution that is faltering anyway, both in terms of dwindling congregations and those seeking ordination. The Pope's belated and misguided reaction reinforces that. There may be other answers, too. For Catholics, celibacy surely plays a part. Prominent sections of the US Church now question whether sexual-abstinence rules should be relaxed. The official Church newspaper has asked, albeit rhetorically, whether, if celibacy were optional, fewer sex scandals would involve clergy. "Does priesthood, in fact, attract a disproportionate number of men with a homosexual orientation?" it asks. Leaving aside the questionable assumption that homosexuality automatically means paedophilia, the Catholic Church is disregarding another possible reason why it - and other denominations - are bedevilled by actions that provoke moral outrage.

It may well be that some who carve out Church careers are psychologically and emotionally immature, most at ease with the young and vulnerable, or who recognise their sexual proclivities and hope a clerical vocation will sublimate their instincts. And given that the Church community includes many comforted by its rites and certitude - the stereotypical spinster with a crush on the Dean, the choirmaster who delights in boy sopranos, the depressed and the lonely - sexual exploiters find easy prey. This issue cannot be handled by keeping secrets but by alerting police. Otherwise, child sex abusers have free rein to become serial criminals, and victims get a life sentence.