It is now thirty years since revelations of sexual abuse of minors by priests first began to appear. How far have we progressed in the task of eradicating this cancer? What lessons have we learned?
“For whatever mere words are worth, apologies have been made. Processes have been established that have enabled many people to have their stories heard. A number have found a measure of healing. All indications are that the number of new offences has significantly diminished, if not because of a rise in virtue, then at least because of a rise in the fear of being caught” says Geoffrey Robinson.
Robinson names:
- Seven factors contributing to abuse
- Five factors contributing to the poor response
- Six sensitive topics that it would be healthy if we could discuss more
Read Robinson’s article in The Swag
Bishop Geoffrey Robinson is the former Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney Australia. He was the advocate for victims abused by priests from 1994-96. He is the author of the book “Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus.”
Image: Wikipedia
