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The Press
June 29, 2002
A cross to bear
by Geoff Collett
The
nightmare of sexual abuse scandals is unfolding in the Catholic Church in
Mere weeks ago, the demons of the New Zealand Catholic Church's past slumbered
in its deeper recesses.
Even as the Catholic parishes of America and Australia watched in despair while
their nightmares unfolded, in New Zealand the Church hierarchy tiptoed around
the edges of the darkness, disturbing it only as much as was necessary to
assure anxious onlookers that all was well.
But now, a legacy of sexual abuse of children by the Catholic clergy has
emerged. And the courage of the
Revelations are mounting of significant and previously unreported abuse within
at least one
Last weekend was something of a mini-watershed for the Church. In the wake of
news of newly emerging sexual abuse complaints, priests devoted their Sunday
sermons to the topic, parishioners debated it, bishops turned their minds to
formally opining on it to their flocks, and Church officialdom took the unusual
step of opening its books of abuse complaints. Or at least
partly.
The Church's spokeswoman, Catholic Communications director Lyndsay
Freer, revealed that over the past decade 38 claims of abuse had been
substantiated, dating back to the 1950s, against priests, brothers, and lay
people.
But scrutiny of the figure -- which Freer said was being made public because
the Church "has come to understand the need for openness and
transparency" -- raised questions.
How many cases involved children? The Church did not say, except that it was
not all of them. How many abusers were responsible for the 38 complaints, and
how many were paedophiles? Again, it did not say. Freer indicated it would be
troublesome to find out. Nor was it clear whether the nine members of the
clergy who have ended up in court over the past decade on sex charges were
responsible for any of the 38 complaints, or whether theirs were additional
offences. It was reported that three orders of the Church had paid out $550,000
in compensation to an unspecified number of complainants. But was that a
comprehensive figure? Most importantly, did anyone have any idea of what might
lie in wait?
Alongside the troublesome lack of answers to such questions is the confusion
for outsiders about the Church's arcane systems and structures, and its welter
of autonomous dioceses, orders, and societies. A bishop cannot be expected to
know how an order is running its affairs, nor will one order be informed of
another's business.
It must raise the question though, at least for outsiders looking in, as to how
prepared the Church really is for dealing with such a crisis.
The hierarchy obviously wants to be seen to be in control of the mounting
concern within the Church -- this weekend, the bishops are writing to all
parishioners setting out their views -- but so far it does not intend to call
any kind of special inquiry.
Indications from ordinary practising Catholics are that they want to see their
Church's problems aired and debated, at least among themselves.
At Sumner's Star of the Sea Parish last weekend, Father Jim Consedine
(who was visiting from his normal Lyttelton parish)
made an impact with a particularly resonant sermon about the issue.
Parishioners contacted by The Press
were enthused. They agreed the problem
needed to be out in the open, even if as one, Margaret O'Connor, said, some of
the newspaper's coverage had been "over the top".
O'Connor was concerned the Church hierarchy needed to stay in tune with the lay
people, to talk to them and respond to their feelings.
Joan Collins highlighted the seriousness of what Catholics were now learning
had gone on in such places as the St John of God. "The Church has simply
got to acknowledge that these things have happened. It's very shameful, but
we've got to stand up to that." And Heather Josland
said the controversy might be difficult for Catholics to endure, but it was
best out in the open. "We have to remain supportive of the Church at this
time."
But Consedine himself considers what he told the Star
of the Sea faithful to be a matter between him and them. He flatly refuses to
discuss his sermon, or the wider issue. Other priests contacted for their views
are also circumspect about talking, but the public silence of Jim Consedine -- long outspoken and voluble in his opinions on
the abuse of power -- underscores the sensitivities at stake.
* * *
The Catholic Church in New Zealand recognised it had to start overhauling its
system of confronting sex abuse a decade ago, when it set up committees in each
of its six dioceses to deal with sexual abuse complaints. In 1998, it
strengthened its stance with a formal document called A Path to Healing,
setting out how such complaints were to be handled.
The diocesan committees are hand-picked by the bishop and report to him. It is,
essentially, a judge, jury, and executioner arrangement. A committee will not
reveal details about its hearings. It is over to a complainant to determine how
they want their case handled, including whether there is to be any publicity or
outside authority involved. The inescapable conclusion is that many of the
secrets of sex offending by the New Zealand Catholic clergy have the potential
to remain locked away inside the Church.
Rumblings from across the Tasman just this week have highlighted the potential
for wider weaknesses in this system.
The Australian Catholics use a similar approach. They also have a protocol
document, Towards Healing, which includes more than a few parallels with the
"The (Towards Healing) protocol has been waved incessantly as if it is the
answer to every new complaint; as if it washes the hands of moral culpability,
and of remorseless inaction," Cahill wrote in an open letter to the
Australian bishops. "It is just not believable any more."
* * *
Whatever criticisms are levelled at the Catholic hierarchy in
Its message includes contrition; deep sorrow and regret for all caught up in
the scandal; dismay and sadness; confidence that the Church is going about
things the right way; insistence that it is a tiny minority of its number
implicated in the scandals; and staunchness that the roots of the problem are
societal ones, rather than of its own making.
Church leaders say it is a difficult time for all Catholics, as their faith is
condemned and ridiculed by outsiders on the basis of the sins of a few. Some
commentators see it all as an excuse for Catholic bashing.
But the most vehement denials are reserved for the suggestion that Catholicism has
an unusually serious problem of sexual offending by its clergy, and that its
requirement that its clergy remain celibate may be a factor.
From the highest levels, the Church has insisted that its experience simply
reflects the wider ugliness of society.
As the Pope told
Cardinal Tom Williams echoes the message and says that the abuse by a few has
not "shaken my very firm conviction that the vast, vast majority of those
committed to serving the Church are doing so well, are observing their vows of
chastity or celibacy. That's something I not only stand by, I take pride
in."
The Church hierarchy refuses to budge on its tenet of an all-male, celibate
priesthood, and refuses to accept that the celibate lifestyle may hold some
appeal for men who want to disguise their troubled sexuality. Paedophiles, for example. It insists that there is no known
connection between celibacy and sex abuse.
But there is certainly a suspicion and some strong theories.
Muriel Porter, a
Porter does not buy a simple celibacy causes abuse argument, but sees it as
part of a much deeper, ancient and dangerous attitude towards sexuality
generally, afflicting society at large.
A problem for the Catholics, she suspects, is that the Church hierarchy is
simply not prepared for the inevitable consequences of its stance.
She looks at the current Catholic leadership in her own country and sees a
group which has never had to face up to understanding a complex sex abuse
crisis, and "they don't know how to cope with it. They are only beginning
to understand the dimensions and I don't think they have any concept of the
damage it is doing."