I think a lot of Roman Catholics are in the middle of betrayal trauma. In betrayal trauma, you dissociate. You can’t accept reality.
There are ways people try to avoid facing these issues head on. For example, they tell themselves:
There is an anti-Catholic media.
Things aren’t that bad.
Half of victims are making up stories.
The RCC isn’t as bad as the rest of society.
Victims just want money.
Why can’t victims forgive?
This is the way I used to think. Perhaps there is a grain of truth to some of these excuses, but none of them completely hold up. For example, maybe some of the media is anti-Catholic, but not all. Many members of the media who are calling out the institutional church are good practicing Catholics. Much of society struggles with child and sex abuse. Sure. But the RCC church doesn’t just claim to be some kind of civic club. It claims that its priests represent Christ. And the vast majority of victims don’t just want money. Many victims wanted to come forward to their Church, but there was no way to do that. (Upon coming forward they would experience the silent treatment, smear campaigns, bullying, lies and gaslighting, etc…) The legal route was the only viable and safe route available to victims. Having said that, many victims really need money. Therapy is ridiculously expensive.
Finally, why can’t victims forgive? This is irrelevant when it comes to this particular issue at hand. Even if every single victim has completely forgiven those in the institutional church who harmed them, these issues still need to be addressed. Admonishing sinners is a spiritual work of mercy. And when the “sinners” in question are clergy, it takes a tremendous amount of courage as well.
Admonishing sinners is a spiritual work of mercy. And when the “sinners” in question are clergy, it takes a tremendous amount of courage as well.
Here are some interesting new articles:
04-30-2010 in the National Catholic Reporter: Abuse Crisis is Actually a Hierarchy Crisis.