Do Victims of Clergy Sexual Abuse "Owe" Forgiveness
So much of the clergy, including Protestant, focus has been on clergy apologizing and victims forgiving. I had never thought much about how this process looked to the victim until I read this link.
The link points out that neither Catholic nor Protestant clergy institutions have spent much time and money studying what happens to the victims and what the victim's point of view is. If they were to ask, for example, what do you think would be a penalty appropriate for what happened to you what would they learn? No doubt there would be a variety of responses but at least they would be asking the right question. One thing I think they would learn is that priests, preachers and church officers apologizing it insufficient.
Currently, the Catholic approach is to apologize, pay out large sums of money but develop complex strategies, like bankruptcy, to stay in business. According to the link, this is not a response the response that appears like a total apology. Instead, it is behavior of an institution trying not to take responsibility. On top of that, they seem to expect victims to accept all this and forgive.
The institution of Catholic clergy and its theology are structured to change almost nothing after the many apology tours. A structure which appoints itself and reports to itself is one which will have major failures. And, it has.
To many Catholics, it is far more important that the institution of the Catholic Church survive than it is to make certain victims feel justice has been done. To a victim of sexual abuse, there is little importance attached to Catholic institutional survival. As one who stands outside religious institutions, it is hard to see why this survival is the most important issue.
There are two elements, and FOUR levels involved here. Confession, (admission) and absolution, (forgiveness / satisfaction.) For this to be completed;
ReplyDeleteLevel one; 1. each and every guilty person must personally admit to each and every person harmed, if possible, then ASK, (Not demand ) for forgiveness from the harmed person. It is up to the harmed individual to forgive.
Level 2.; Sacramental (confession and absolution), Confess the sin / sins, and receive absolution. ( Then Go and sin no more)
Level 3. the institutional church only then can admit to being absent in it's corporate responsibility, defrock / layicize, and then ask for forgiveness. And in that order.
level 4. Civil; Turn all evidence to civil authorities for Criminal charges. If found guilty, admit guilt, then accept civil penalty, prison and/or including restitution, from both the guilty person, and the institution.
An alternate, and preferred order of levels would place level 4 as level 1. and follow down the levels above. through level 3.
Cardinal George Pell to be freed as High Court overturns sex abuse conviction.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cnn.com/2020/04/06/australia/australia-cardinal-pell-high-court-hnk-intl/index.html
Those who know have been telling us all that Cardinal Pell was innocent. Today, his innocence was proclaimed by Australia's highest court. In essence, he was convicted on the testimony of one man.
As Cardinal Pell stated today, "I do not want my acquittal to add to the hurt and bitterness so many feel; there is certainly hurt and bitterness enough.... The point was whether I had committed these awful crimes, and I did not."
In short, there can be no forgiveness if there is no admission of guilt. Sacred or civil.
ReplyDeleteJon; Can you please the names of the Protestant denominations you include in the blog?
ReplyDelete