The inability to take full responsibility for these decisions has been a constant complaint of survivors and victims of abuse.

However, in this action, the episcopal and religious leaders commit a liturgical abuse of the Sunday Assembly by calling them to become complicit in the leaders' sins.

The majority of Mass-going Catholics—laity and clergy alike—are not complicit in the hierarchy's (bishops, congregational leaders, and functionaries) failures of moral judgment, nor have most of them perpetrated crimes of abuse against victims within the Church.

Nonetheless, they are co-opted, through the apology and lament, into sharing responsibility for their leaders' actions.

Consistently, victims and survivors of abuse have complained that their voices have not been heard and that they have been ignored or minimised.

Last Sunday, the voice of the liturgical assembly—and each believer's right to participate without coercion in the Mass—was added to the number of those who have suffered at the hands of a leadership that seems incapable of real change.

The Litany of Lament

The Litany of Lament used during the Mass was a subtle form of abuse because it demands that the Sunday Assembly participate in an act of repentance that has no rightful place in the Sunday liturgy.

Positioned either in the middle of the Liturgy of the Word (in place of the homily), it disrupts the focus on Scripture.

Placed at the end of Mass, it undermines the Assembly's commissioning for evangelisation. If deemed necessary (which is questionable), it should have been integrated into the Preparation Rites as a Penitential Rite, where corporate sin is acknowledged and forgiven.

However, placing this form of litany with its antiphonal structure and form of words in place of the Penitential Rite would be inappropriate because the Penitential Rite's structure and theology are qualitatively different from the Rite of Penance and Reconciliation, from which the Litany of Lament has been derived.

A Litany of Lament

The litany of lament used on Sunday is a biblical form of prayer used by individuals and communities when they are overwhelmed by exhaustion, confusion, numbness, or despair due to their actions.

Its purpose is to process grief in God's presence, not, as the bishops erroneously suggested, to "channel anger" or "rekindle our thirst for justice in an unjust world."

Litanies of lament function differently depending on whether they are a lament of repentance or penance.

A lament of repentance is used before a lament of penance, but both are used by individuals who have directly sinned to process their grief at their decisions and actions as they kneel at the feet of those they have sinned against.

Penitents use these types of litanies before they receive individual absolution.

These litanies are not for bystanders

Using these forms of litanies in a penitential service makes sense.

Using them in the Sunday Mass—without a clear understanding of what the litany is supposed to achieve—shows that those responsible for this do not understand the nature of forgiveness in the Eucharistic liturgy or the nature of reconciliation in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, where restitution and a firm commitment to change are essential.

Symbols of shame and repentance

Biblical acts of lamentation are accompanied by symbols and gestures of shame—rituals such as rending garments, sitting in ashes, or walking barefoot through the city.

These practices articulate repentance that comes through penance.

Potent symbols speak louder than apologies, which have become hollow acts of avoidance. Symbolic acts of repentance might include tearing episcopal garments and mitres or breaking episcopal staffs.

Penance might show Church leaders sitting humbly on the ground outside each cathedral in front of survivors and the wider Catholic community, publicly asking for forgiveness. They would wait in silence until survivors and the baptised community were prepared to offer forgiveness.

Such profound acts of penance, followed by visible restitution, could culminate in a public sacramental reconciliation.

Given the depth of sin and the severity of the crimes, symbolic actions must resonate with the ontological violence inflicted to address the shame honestly.

Public sin, public reconciliation

Failures in moral judgement and crimes against innocents demand rigorous theological reflection.

The Church's ancient tradition of public forgiveness for public sins offers a framework for this reflection. It recognises how sin and crime corrode not just the individual but the broader community of the Church and society.

Public sins, such as moral failings or abuse, require public acknowledgement and forgiveness because they are experienced and known publicly.

The processes of restitution, forgiveness, and reconciliation must also unfold publicly. Within the Church, this is liturgical and ultimately sacramental.

The scandal of abuse has deeply shamed the Body of Christ.

Addressing this shame requires a healing process that names it explicitly and offers it to the Father through Christ.

Without such an approach, shame and violence will continue to burden the entire community.

Healing the communion of the Church is imperative because victims and perpetrators alike are members of the Body of Christ.

• Dr Joe Grayland is currently an assistant lecturer in the Department of Liturgy, University of Wuerzburg (Germany). He is priest of the Catholic Diocese of Palmerston North (New Zealand) for nearly 30 years.

They said that some of the earlier responses and solutions were ill-advised and had devastating consequences. Along with the sins and crimes of the priests, religious and lay workers, they are left full of shame.

The bishops said they have heard how the response of Church leaders was inadequate, inappropriate and, in many cases, added to survivors' grief and trauma.

Renewing their sincere and unconditional apology to victims of abuse in the Catholic Church, the bishops acknowledged that words can never replace what was stolen or fully restore what was destroyed - and to this end they continue to reflect on the lessons of the Royal Commission.

Looking back, the bishops say they cannot change the past, but they can help shape the future.

The Sunday assembly also engaged in a Litany of Lament.

Shaping the future

"Starting from the place of shame and disgrace, but emboldened by hope, we as the faith community must continue working to ensure that history does not repeat itself" the bishops wrote.

They say they have made significant changes to their procedures and protocols, the prime among them being that the police are best placed to investigate criminal allegations.

They also pledge to work closely with survivors, stating "We honour them for their courage" and that they are "striving to create better opportunities to assist those who have been harmed". They have learned that "safeguarding is everyone's responsibility".

The bishops conclude their letter by quoting from Pope Francis - "Looking back to the past, no effort to beg pardon and to seek to repair the harm done will ever be sufficient.

"Looking ahead to the future, no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated."

PM's historic appology

The NZ Bishops' statement follows on from last week's historic apology by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, acknowledging the abuse suffered by survivors in state and faith-based care, marking a significant step toward healing for many affected.

The Prime Minister's emotional apology underlines a national commitment to accountability and reform.

Source

• NZ Catholic Bishops Conference (supplied)

The new measures follow recommendations from the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (CIASE) which three years ago urged the Church to implement strict directives for confessors.

The guidelines specify where confessions can take place, when they are permissible and how absolution should be handled — even in cases involving serious offences.

New rules for Confession locations

The new guidelines outline strict conditions about where and how confessions can take place.

Confessions are prohibited in private rooms, and sessions outside traditional confession settings - such as churches and designated confessionals - are allowed only in exceptional situations, such as confessions for the sick and during pilgrimages.

All confessions must occur during daylight hours and priests must wear clerical attire. The guidelines state "This ensures a standardised and transparent environment that prioritises the safety of the penitent".

Confessions should be avoided in emotionally charged circumstances, with an emphasis on maintaining a stable and respectful setting for both the priest and penitent.

Handling abuse disclosures in Confession

If a victim discloses abuse when confessing, priests are bound by the absolute seal of the confessional - as indeed they have always been.

However, the guidelines advise priests to encourage victims to report their experiences. Priests are urged to use their "pastoral sensitivity to determine if the penitent has already confided in another trusted person".

If not, confessors must "strongly encourage" victims to do so.

Priests are also advised to keep contact information for victim support services readily available, ensuring immediate access to assistance for the penitent.

Absolution and accountability

The guidelines confirm that absolution remains dependent on the penitent's contrition and expressed confession. While absolution is not conditional, penitents are not absolved of their responsibility to answer for their actions.

"Absolution does not exonerate the penitent from the consequences of his or her actions" the guidelines say. Priests may suggest that penitents who have committed serious offences take steps toward reparation, including self-reporting to civil or ecclesiastical authorities.

Mandatory training for priests

To uphold these standards, the bishops' Conference has mandated ongoing training for all priests about the theological, psychological and legal aspects of confession. They are also assessing each priest's suitability to serve as a confessor.

The Church has recognised this as a critical step in preventing future abuse.

Sources

• The Pillar
• katholisch.de

Smyth's abuse, described as "brutal and prolific", targeted more than 100 boys and young men at Christian holiday camps in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

An independent review concluded that Smyth's crimes were systematically covered up by church officials, some of whom allowed him to relocate abroad where he continued his abuse.

"From July 2013 the Church of England knew, at the highest level, about the abuse that took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s" the review states.

The review says that over forty years, John Smyth became "arguably the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church of England", operating in three different countries and involving "as many as 130 boys and young men".

The report, led by former social services director Keith Makin, criticised senior church figures, including Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, for failing to act on their knowledge of Smyth's conduct.

Although Welby volunteered at the camps where Smyth worked, he consistently denied any knowledge of the abuse until 2013, when a survivor's report made its way to church officials.

However, the review noted that it was "unlikely" that Welby had no knowledge of concerns about Smyth before this date.

Lifelong scars

Smyth's abuse was severe and wide-ranging. He subjected boys to physical beatings, sexual and psychological abuse and spiritual manipulation which, according to Makin, left lifelong scars on victims.

One of his victims was Andrew Watson, now the bishop of Guildford, who said he was subjected to a "violent, excruciating and shocking" beating.

In total, the abuse spanned multiple countries, with at least 30 known victims in the UK and more than 85 in Zimbabwe and South Africa. In Zimbabwe, Smyth was implicated in the death of a 16-year-old boy, Guide Nyachuru, at one of his camps, although charges were dismissed.

Missed opportunity for justice

The review criticised the C of E for its "ineffective" response, noting the active cover-up of Smyth's actions in 1982, when the Iwerne Trust, which sponsored the camps, produced a confidential report on his abuse.

The Trust, along with church officials, kept the findings from authorities, allowing Smyth to continue his abuse with impunity.

When Smyth's actions resurfaced in 2013, church officials including Welby evidently did not report the matter to authorities, a failure the review identified as a missed opportunity for justice.

In a statement, Welby apologised "profoundly" for his failures and those of the Church. "I am sorry for my own omissions and for the broader wickedness, concealment and abuse perpetrated by the church". However Welby has said he will not resign over the matter.

John Smyth died in 2018, aged 77, before he could face trial over the allegations.

Sources

The Guardian

Daily Mail

Channel 4 News

CathNews New Zealand

Cases of sextortion have soared by 400 percent in some states in the last 18 months.

Targets and perpetrators

Young people are navigating a digital world where one in seven minors are asked for nudes by a stranger online on a weekly or even a daily basis.

This complex moral and social challenge demands our collective attention, because despite ongoing research and reports calling for urgent national action, public awareness remains low.

The vast majority of four-year-olds are using the internet in some capacity, according to research. By the time those children turn 11 years old, the majority of children are using it unsupervised.

A report in 2022 revealed that of all 9-12-year-olds, the majority (two out of three) interact with unfamiliar adults online. One in six children have had romantic or sexual conversations with an online-only contact.

There is no longer an ‘online' and ‘real' world dichotomy here; for young people online is the world in which they live, meet friends and navigate relationships.

Perpetrators of online sexual exploitation are accessing children through gaming, chat functions, video calls, dating apps, social media applications and other platforms.

Recent cases of sextortion in Australia are dispelling myths of grooming occurring over long periods of time, allowing for identification and intervention.

Instead, evidence reveals that grooming can take multiple forms (often involving the deception of posing as another young person), and the grooming process, including the solicitation of images, can occur over a matter of hours, often with devastating consequences.

At particular risk are young people in out-of-home care, who identify as LGBTIQ+, who have multicultural or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, or who are living with a disability. Children from these cohorts are increasingly seeking connection via online platforms.

The notion of ‘stranger danger' is not effective here. In around 50-70 percent of cases of online child sexual abuse, the abuser is known to the child.

Research shows that adolescents who are known to the victim inflict the highest proportion of child sexual abuse, with adolescents in a romantic relationship close behind.

Nonconsensual sexting and/or distribution of self-generated images are increasingly associated with acrimonious adolescent relationships.

According to a 2022 report by the World Health Organisation, almost all the nonconsensual-distribution offenders against youth were themselves young people.

'Grooming can take multiple forms (often involving the deception of posing as another young person), and the grooming process, including the solicitation of images, can occur over a matter of hours, often with devastating consequences.'

Access to technology

Any conversation about increased unsupervised access to technology must address one key consequence: heightened exposure to pornographic content, whether stumbled upon innocently or sought out deliberately.

In Australia boys are, on average, aged 13 years at the time of their first exposure to pornography.

Exposure to pornography can strengthen attitudes supportive of sexual violence and violence against women and harmful sexual behaviour between adolescents.

A report from the eSafety Commissioner in 2023 revealed that young people described online pornography as an avenue to learn about sex.

Mitigating this problem from a schools standpoint faces numerous challenges, especially around consistency and quality of preventative education.

Myths and misconceptions that age-appropriate sexual health and safety education in schools ‘promotes' sex, and that sexual abuse is ‘happening elsewhere', continue to hamper the urgent discussion needed to increase sexual safety knowledge in Australian schools.

Providing sexual abuse evention programmes

The Victorian Child Safe Standards for education providers state that young people should be offered access to sexual abuse prevention programmes and to relevant information in an age-appropriate way.

There's a need to build our confidence and capacity to educate young people in this space.

At minimum, Australia needs a well-resourced, consistently implemented, and rigorous sexual health and safety education programme that builds upon the existing Respectful Relationships curriculum.

One such professional learning programme designed to meet these challenges is Power to Kids, from the MacKillop Institute, designed to strengthen prevention and responses to child sexual abuse, harmful sexual behaviour and dating violence for young people in residential care and school settings.

We often hear from schools of the need for deeper training for educators to build their knowledge and capacity to better prevent, identify and respond to indicators of abuse.

The long-standing gap in sex education is now impacting the confidence of the current generation of teachers who have been charged with the responsibility to teach the next generation.

Educators require the support of their school system leaders, parents and the wider school community to put that training into practice.

They need to have confidence that having sensitive and informed conversations with young people about sexual safety will be viewed as aligned with the duty of care to keep children safe and will not result in punitive action.

We also need to get better at fostering proactive conversations around ways to seek help.

A key strategy we teach through the Power to Kids programme is having ‘brave conversations' around sexual safety.

Aligned with the One Talk at a Time campaign, it is important that parents/carers and educators raise sexual safety topics proactively when opportunities arise, and ask questions or raise concerns when they notice possible indicators of abuse.

Creating safe environments

The Royal Commission confirmed that it can take over 20 years for a child to disclose sexual abuse.

Disclosures can be partial and nonlinear and are more likely to be made to a peer or sibling. This means that having proactive conversations can help establish safe environments for young people to come forward, ask questions or seek support when needed.

The other important reality for parents to grapple with is that their child may be the one causing harm. Creating safe environments for young people to share potentially problematic behaviours and have them addressed are just as critical.

A common anxiety among professionals working with young people is that addressing child sexual abuse is too daunting a problem.

There is a wide perception that the problem of child sexual abuse to ‘too big' or ‘too hard' to take action that will make a meaningful impact. This can lead to a sense of helplessness, being overwhelmed, which can lead to a lack of public engagement.

That lack of engagement has been a longstanding concern.

Research conducted by ACCCE in 2020 revealed that many parents, carers, and educators hold negative attitudes towards the topic, but this hinders their ability to implement effective prevention measures by ‘disassociation or limited engagement'.

To make things additionally complicated, victim-blaming is more likely in instances of online sexual abuse.

The ACCCE report revealed that 80 percent of parents/carers would respond with anger at their child if they found out they had shared images online, and 73 percent would be angry if their child spoke with strangers online.

‘Many participants reported that they would be more angry at their child in the instance of online child sexual exploitation than if the abuse happened in the offline world.

This was because they assumed their children should "know better" and could easily "just switch off" the device to protect themselves'. Some parents also reported they would not report or seek help due to shame and embarrassment of perceived ‘bad parenting'.

Despite these beliefs, 89 percent of parents believed their children would tell them if something happened to them online.

Ultimately, shame and stigma can still overshadow our desire to protect and believe our children.

Unchecked, our discomfort can prevent us from educating ourselves and our children, and prevent us from listening, believing and responding to children when they come forward.

What to do

To effectively address child sexual abuse, we need to foster a sense of shared responsibility among technology companies, corporations, financial institutions, law enforcement, schools, and therapeutic services.

Collaboration across all aspects of prevention and response is essential. Victim-survivors have highlighted the need for greater consistency in quality, trauma-informed practices, collaborative problem-solving, information sharing, and communication within the service system.

Additionally, it's important to acknowledge that our attitudes towards sexual abuse are often shaped by our personal experiences and education, which may include trauma.

It's crucial to acknowledge that many educators, parents, and carers may have experienced abuse themselves. Self-care is essential as we educate ourselves on this important issue.

A shift in public attitudes will require an investment in both prevention strategies and effective responses for victims of abuse.

That means developing proactive approaches that encourage open conversations with young people, encourage help-seeking, and foster safe environments for discussing sexual safety.

• First published in Eureka Street
• Smeeta Singh is National Programs Director Power to Kids, a professional learning programme within The MacKillop Institute that strengthens prevention and responses to child sexual abuse, harmful sexual behaviour and dating violence for young people in residential care and school settings.

Not long ago, the Vatican's chief spokesman told 350 media professionals that Vatican media would still use art by Fr Marko Ivan Rupnik, 69, currently under investigation for accusations of abusing women religious.

Paolo Ruffini, 67, prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, defended the official use of art by the accused serial rapist at the annual meeting of the Catholic Media Association in Atlanta.

Other artists have offended too

In Rupnik's defense and by comparison, Ruffini asked the roomful of media professionals, "What about Caravaggio?"

What about him?

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was a philandering reprobate who produced stunning art.

By an extraordinary use of light and dark, his paintings present a realistic view of what it means to be human, drawing the viewer into the deep human emotions he so realistically portrayed.

After killing a rich gangster, Ranuccio Tommasoni, in Rome — they fought over a gambling debt, or perhaps over a prostitute — Caravaggio remained on the run until he died in 1610.

Some say he was traveling to accept a pardon for his sentence of death.

Caravaggio's art influenced painters of the Baroque era and beyond, from Rubens to Rembrandt.

What's the difference?

Rupnik is no Caravaggio.

Caravaggio's paintings were commissioned for new churches and influential cardinals' palaces. Rupnik's mosaics adorn some 43 chapels or churches in Rome, and there are 231 works worldwide.

They are quite unusual. Some people find them ugly.

Rupnik's mosaics invariably present the human person as long-faced and big-eyed. Dismissive of nature, they evoke the work of a primary school student enamored of bright colors and glitter.

Aside from Rupnik's artistic departures from reality, his 20 or 30 accusers (so far) say he coerced them into sexual acts through spiritual and emotional abuse.

Their stories are horrifying.

One accuser said he abused multiple female members of the Loyola Community, which he founded in his native Slovenia, before decamping for Rome.

In Rome, he founded the Centro Aletti art institute in the early 1990s.

"Creative" abuse - and the victims

Rupnik's accusers say his sexual and spiritual abuse were essential to his creative processes.

The Society of Jesus — the Jesuit order Rupnik joined in 1973 — found the accusers' allegations credible and dismissed him in 2023 when he refused to abide by its restrictions.

He promptly attached himself to a Slovenian diocese. He continues to produce and sell his work.

Some places are considering removing his work, but the Vatican's Ruffini doesn't think that's a good idea.

Even so, there is precedent for covering existing art.

Mosaics commissioned in 1965 by Pope Paul VI in Rome's major seminary are now hidden by a false wall with floor-to-ceiling Rupnik depictions of Biblical scenes in bright reds, oranges and yellows.

That would be easy to take down.

But the question was not so much about removing Rupnik's mosaics as it was about his art's continued promotion in Vatican materials.

The Vatican maintains several Rupnik images on its websites, and Ruffini told the Atlanta assembly he had no intention of taking them down, saying removing art would not show "closeness" to Rupnik's victims.

What about the other victims, especially the female victims, of sexual and spiritual abuse by clerics around the world?

• First published by Religion News Service
• Phyllis Zagano is an author at Religion News Service.

Most say they are not trying to damage the Order St Teresa of Kolkata (Mother Teresa) founded. Rather, they want to help it become the best version of itself.

Allegations

Power and authority are abused in the Order, the former sisters claimed.

There is a climate of excessive control and unthinking obedience.

A podcast in 2021, "The Turning: The Sisters Who Left", describes many former sisters' experiences.

They spoke of depression, sexual abuse, feeling trapped and suicidal thoughts.

Sisters' lives are isolated, with little family contact. Superiors keep sisters' passports, review mail and supervise phone calls.

Boundary violations in terms of physical contact were tolerated or explained away, they said.

Sexual abuse could unfold over considerable periods without being detected or punished.

Alleged perpetrators were sometimes transferred rather than held accountable; alleged victims were encouraged to remain silent.

The former sisters describe attempting to bring these problems to the attention of authorities, inside the Order and in the Vatican.

There was generally no response.

Reasons for leaving

Many former sisters cited abusive behaviour within the order and lack of action to resolve it as their reasons for leaving the Order.

One spoke of the Order's unhealthy attachment to suffering and harmful penances including daily self-flagellation.

Several said they were given little help when they left. Some were given as little as $500 after decades of service.

Years of Complaints

Former members say their attempts to bring concerns to church authorities, including the Vatican, yielded no concrete results for years.

As an example, one spoke of making a complaint at the Vatican around the time of Mother Teresa's death in 1997.

She wrote to Pope Francis in 2018, insisting the issues she'd perceived two decades before were still present.

Shortly afterwards, she had a phone call and later a meeting with Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo from the Vatican's Dicastery for Religious.

Carballo said he was "very concerned" about the issue and feared a potential public scandal, given the Missionaries of Charity society's global fame.

He said taking action was difficult as many sisters don't want to write things down.

Some told him they prefer to use the confessional to discuss any problems they face.

Several former sisters said they have been in touch with Carballo's successor at the Dicastery. Dialogue about problems within the Order is ongoing, they said.

"I believe that the pope should choose a person, or more people, to help the sisters to change and update their constitution or ways of life according to the Second Vatican Council" a former sister said.

Reaction

A spokesman for the Missionaries of Charity said the claim of an internal culture of abuse and neglect within the Missionaries "is patently false".

The complaints are "repeats of old grievances from a determined, small group of former members, nearly all of whom left the Missionaries of Charity a decade or decades ago".

Source

• CruxNow

After reviewing the complaint dated back to the 1970s, the Vatican decided no further Church inquiry was required.

The Vatican's finding is similar to that of the New Zealand Police, which concluded earlier this year that Cardinal John Dew had no case to answer.

When the story broke in the media in March, Dew responded personally - "No doubt many of you have been dismayed at the many instances in which I have had to decline to participate in baptisms, weddings, funerals and Diocesan events."

He said he was acutely aware of how distressing the allegations have been - and are - for many people: survivors who have put their trust in him, the church community, his family and friends.

"Throughout my life as a priest, I have endeavoured to serve the Church and uphold the Gospels with all of my ability" Dew emphasised.

Vatican finding confirmed

The Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop, Paul Martin, confirmed the Vatican finding.

"Cardinal John Dew can now resume public activities that he stood aside from under Church protocols when the allegation was brought to the attention of the Church in May last year" Martin said.

Dew retired as Archbishop of Wellington in May last year when he turned 75 - the retirement age for Catholic Church bishops.

"The Church became aware of an allegation of abuse being made against Cardinal Dew at about the same time as his retirement" Martin said.

"Cardinal Dew immediately stood aside from all public church activities while the Police investigated the allegations.

"When the Police advised in March that no charges would be laid, Cardinal Dew continued to stand aside while a separate Vatican review proceeded, using the Church's international procedures for complaints against bishops.

"With the Church's review complete and no further action proposed, Cardinal Dew can resume public Church activities.

Pastoral support

"This has been a distressing experience and painful for everyone concerned" Martin said.

"The Church has an ongoing pastoral responsibility to offer support to all those involved and continues to do so.

"This includes the complainant to whom the Church has continued to offer support."

Source

• Supplied - NZ Catholic Bishops Conference
• CathNews

But hidden in the synod participants' 40-page synthesis are some surprising gems that could lead to significant reform in the church.

The hidden gems

The first is a new stress on lay involvement.

Compared with other Christian churches, the Catholic Church is very hierarchical. This synod, especially the conversations at roundtables, was structured so that lay voices, including women and young people, were heard and respected.

"Synod path called by the Holy Father is to involve all the baptized," the report notes. "We ardently desire this to happen and want to commit ourselves to making it possible."

Secondly, the synod promotes "Conversation in the Spirit."

The term refers to a practice that "enables authentic listening in order to discern what the Spirit is saying to the Churches," the report explains.

It adds that "‘conversation' expresses more than mere dialogue: it interweaves thought and feeling, creating a shared vital space."

Third, the report acknowledges disagreements and uncertainties.

In the past, the hierarchy tended to cover them up, presenting a united front to the faithful and the world.

But on its first page the synod's report acknowledges "The multiplicity of interventions and the plurality of positions voiced in the Assembly,".

It admits "that it is not easy to listen to different ideas, without immediately giving in to the temptation to counter the views expressed."

In each following chapter, any disagreements and uncertainties are listed under "matters for consideration" that "require deepening our understanding pastorally, theologically, and canonically."

The report also acknowledges its divides.

"The Church too is affected by polarisation and distrust in vital matters such as liturgical life and moral, social and theological reflection," it reads.

"We need to recognise the causes of each through dialogue and undertake courageous processes of revitalising communion and processes of reconciliation to overcome them."

Fourth, the report addresses the concerns of women.

"Women cry out for justice in societies still marked by sexual violence, economic inequality and the tendency to treat them as objects," it says.

"Women are scarred by trafficking, forced migration and war. Pastoral accompaniment and vigorous advocacy for women should go hand in hand."

The church must "avoid repeating the mistake of talking about women as an issue or a problem.

Instead, we desire to promote a Church in which men and women dialogue together, in order to understand more deeply the horizon of God's project, that sees them together as protagonists, without subordination, exclusion and competition."

The synod concluded that in the church "It is urgent to ensure that women can participate in decision-making processes and assume roles of responsibility in pastoral care and ministry."

Fifth, it did not forget the poor, "who do not have the things they need to lead a dignified life."

Instead it insists on their dignity, cautioning the church to avoid "viewing those living in poverty in terms of ‘them' and ‘us,' as ‘objects' of the Church's charity.

Putting those who experience poverty at the center and learning from them is something the Church must do more and more."

Sixth, it charges the church with combating racism and xenophobia, saying it must take action against "a world where the number of migrants and refugees is increasing while the willingness to welcome them is decreasing and where the foreigner is viewed with increasing suspicion."

In addition, "Systems within the Church that create or maintain racial injustice need to be identified and addressed. Processes for healing and reconciliation should be created, with the help of those harmed, to eradicate the sin of racism."

Seventh, abuse in the church must be dealt with.

It suggests that the church explore the possibility of setting up a juridical body separate from the bishop to handle accusations of clerical abuse, saying, "It is necessary to develop further structures dedicated to the prevention of abuse."

Eighth, the synod participants called for reforming priestly formation.

"Formation should not create an artificial environment separate from the ordinary life of the faithful," the report said.

It called for "a thorough review of formation programmes, with particular attention to how we can foster the contribution of women and families to them."

It recommended joint formation programmes for "the entire People of God (laity, consecrated and ordained ministers)."

It also called on episcopal conferences to "create a culture of lifelong formation and learning."

Ninth, the synod called for a regular review of how bishops, priests and deacons carry out their ministry in their diocese.

This would include "regular review of the bishop's performance, with reference to the style of his authority, the economic administration of the diocese's assets, and the functioning of participatory bodies, and safeguarding against all possible kinds of abuse."

Tenth, the report took on liturgical language.

It says the texts used in Catholic rites should be "more accessible to the faithful and more embodied in the diversity of cultures."

It later suggested that liturgy and church documents must be "more attentive to the use of language that takes into equal consideration both men and women, and also includes a range of words, images and narratives that draw more widely on women's experience."

Eleventh, it raised the possibility of offering Communion to non-Catholics, or what it called "Eucharistic hospitality (Communicatio in sacris)."

Saying it was a pastoral issue as much as an ecclesial or theological one, the report noted that such hospitality was "of particular importance to inter-church couples."

Twelfth, the report took aim at what it means to be a deacon in the church.

As it is, the deaconate is largely seen as a steppingstone to priesthood.

The report questions the emphasis on deacons' liturgical ministry rather than "service to those living in poverty and who are needy in the community.

Therefore, we recommend assessing how the diaconal ministry has been implemented since Vatican II."

Thirteenth, the reform of the Roman Curia must continue.

The synod affirmed Pope Francis' statement in the Apostolic Constitution "Praedicate evangelium," released in March of 2022, that "the Roman Curia does not stand between the Pope and the Bishops, rather it places itself at the service of both in ways that are proper to the nature of each."

The synod called for "a more attentive listening to the voices of local churches" by the Curia, especially during periodic visits of bishops to Rome.

These should be occasions for "open and mutual exchange that fosters communion and a true exercise of collegiality and synodality."

The synod also asked for a careful evaluation of "whether it is opportune to ordain the prelates of the Roman Curia as bishops," implicitly suggesting that laypeople might hold top Vatican positions.

Fourteenth, the report said canon law needs updating.

"A wider revision of the Code of Canon Law," it reads, "is called for at this time" to emphasise the synodality of the church at all levels.

For example, it suggests, pastoral councils should be mandatory in parishes and dioceses. It also held up for imitation a recent plenary council of Australia.

Lastly, the synod wants to promote small Christian communities, "who live the closeness of the day-to-day, around the Word of God and the Eucharist" and by their nature foster a synodal style.

"We are called to enhance their potential," the synod's members said.

You will not find these gems written about in the media, but if we let the media tell us what to see in the synod, we might miss important opportunities for church reform.

• First published in Religion News Service
• Thomas J. Reese, a Jesuit priest, is a Senior Analyst at RNS. Previously he was a columnist at the National Catholic Reporter (2015-17) and an associate editor (1978-85) and editor in chief (1998-2005) at America magazine.

The modernisation seeks to fill a twenty-six-year gap and reflect some of the modern challenges.

Dr John Kleinsman, director of the NZ Catholic bishops' Nathaniel Centre for Bioethics, is delighted with the bishops' update.

Kleinsman describes the new document as a "succinct overview of eight key moral areas, including a new section on information technology and artificial intelligence."

Among the modern challenges the bishops consider

• Information technology and artificial intelligence
• Justice and correction systems
• War and peace
• Poverty
• Discrimination and abuse
• End-of-life issues
• Beginning of life issues
• Integrity of Creation

Kleinsman says that people generally know what the Chucrh teaches but are unsure of why.

Te Kahu o te Ora - A Consistent Ethic of Life summarises key points which can give people greater insights into Catholic thinking, comments Kleinsman.

"It is a great source for open and informed discussions", says Kleinsman who, as well as being a theologian, is a married man, father and grandfather.

The original Te Kahu o te Ora was inspired by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin's A Consistent Ethic of Life.

Bernardin's work grew from his observation that we must act consistently because all human life is sacred.

It was Bernadin's view that it was inconsistent to protect life in some situations but not in others.

In the years following Roe v. Wade, Bernardin argued that human life is always valuable and must be respected consistently from conception to natural death.

Being pro-life is not only about abortion or euthanasia.

Being pro-life must encompass war, poverty, access to health care, education and anything that threatens human life or human wellbeing, he argued.

Stephen Lowe, the Bishop of Auckland, the Apostolic Administrator of Hamilton and President of the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference, describes the update as "Opportune".

Lowe says human life and emerging challenges are interconnected.

"The essence of Te Kahu o te Ora is the interconnectedness of all life, from the womb to the Earth," he said.

Lowe says Pope Benedict put it well some years ago:

"There are so many kinds of desert. There is the desert of poverty, the desert of hunger and thirst, the desert of abandonment, of loneliness, of destroyed love. There is the desert of God's darkness, the emptiness of souls no longer aware of their dignity or the goal of human life. The external deserts in the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast."

"While traditional human life issues continue to need our attention, we are now facing many new problems, all interlinked.

"The key message of Te Kahu o te Ora is that everything is connected, whether it is life in the womb or the life of the Earth," Lowe repeated.

Sources

• Supplied
• Catholic Sun

Their reason for wanting to modify certain words and titles is part of ongoing efforts to correct all elements and situations than can lead to any sort of abuse over people (especially the young) who are in their charge.

But there are other important reasons beyond the seemingly never-ending abuse crisis why all baptized members of the Catholic Church need to clean up the language we use in ecclesial matters in order for our worldwide faith community to be more evangelical, welcoming, and synodal.

Language and Vatican Council II

The late Jesuit historian John O'Malley noted that this already began to happen at the Second Vatican Council (1962-65).

"It was a language event," he wrote in What Happened at Vatican II (Harvard, 2008). "The language indicated and induced a shift in values or priorities."

He argued that this went beyond devising what we often call "pastoral language" and actually formed a "style" of being Church.

"Worlds like 'charism', 'dialogue', 'partnership', 'cooperation', and 'friendship' indicate a new style for the exercise of authority and implicitly advocate a conversion to a new style of thinking, speaking, and behaving, a change from a more authoritarian and unidirectional style to a more reciprocal and responsive model," O'Malley wrote.

What is clear, in any case, is that style was a big issue at the council, an issue fought on the seemingly superficial battleground of the vocabulary and the literary genre of the documents, with protagonists perhaps not always realising the profound implications of what was at stake.

The literary style, that is to say, was but the surface expression of something meant to sink into the very soul of the Church and of every Catholic.

It was much more than a tactic or a strategy, much more than simply the adoption of a more "pastoral language".

The late American Jesuit stated clearly that the council "did not invent" new words or "imply they were not already operative in the Church", but he argued that, taken as a whole, they "convey the sweep of a newly and forcefully specified style of the Church that the Second Vatican Council held up for contemplation, admiration and actualisation".

Some Catholics, like the religious congregational leaders in France, it would appear, believe we still have more work to do on our Church vocabulary.

Ecclesiastical titles

Much of the language we continue to use in the Church reflects a mentality or attitude that must be changed. As Pope Francis said in the first interview after his election (with Antonio Spadaro SJ in September 2013), "The first reform must be attitude."

Nowhere is the more urgent than in our attitude towards clerical authorities and the way we address them. That begins with the pope himself.

His first and most essential title is, of course, Bishop of Rome.

He is also called the Roman Pontiff or Supreme Pontiff (the qualifier is important, because all bishops are considered pontiffs). All other titles are either devotional or honorary.

Even the word "pope" (papa) is non-essential, although it seems the least clerical. It merely means "dad". You might as well call him "pops", if that's your preferred term of endearment!

But, in reality, the correct term would be Bishop Francis. That is the way Paul VI signed the Vatican II documents (Paul, bishop).

Perhaps, the one devotional title for the Bishop of Rome that should be eliminated is "Holy Father".

Besides that fact that Jesus made it clear that we are to call no one "father" or "master" (see what else he thinks about religious authorities in Mathew 23), he actually addresses God as "Holy Father" (Jn 17, 11).

And so do several of the Eucharistic Prayers from the Church's liturgy.

In fact, we believe that the Holy Father is the first person of the Blessed Trinity, not the Bishop of Rome. Lex orandi lex credendi, after all.

Addressing our priests (i.e. presbyters) as "father" is also problematic, especially in a Church were full membership and dignity are based solely on Baptism, not sacramental ordination.

We are all brothers and sisters, and calling our male and female Catholic "leaders" such is more appropriate and supported by scriptural references to leaders in the fledgling community of believers.

Sanely, most congregations of women religious dropped the use of "mother superior" many years ago. Maybe it's time we call all consecrated persons — including our presbyters — sisters and brothers.

The Synod

Pope Francis has undertaken the ambitious project of making "synodality" constitutive of every level of Church life, ministry and governance.

It is one of the hallmarks of his pontificate. He began by revamping and repurposing the Synod of Bishops.

But there continues to be much confusion over the nature of this permanent institution that Paul VI revived and recreated at the end of Vatican II.

The Synod of Bishops is a free-standing body that is called into session (assembly) as often at its president, the Bishop of Rome, shall determine.

It remains (for now, at least) a consultative body with no deliberative power.

Too often, however, Catholics - even at the Vatican and in the synod secretariat (which is NOT part of the Vatican) - use sloppy language to describe this permanent institution as if it were just a one-off event or meeting.

For instance, people regularly refer to "the Synod on marriage" or "the October Synod". In fact, it is the Synod's assembly on marriage or the Synod's assembly in October.

This is a key distinction, and it has important consequences for the possible further development (and reform) of the Church's governing structure.

Thomas Aquinas, who remains one of the most important theologians in the history of the Christian faith, insisted on care and precision in how we use language and define terms. And the Holy See - especially in the field of diplomacy, drafting of treaties, documents, etc. - has been a stickler about this, as well.

A longtime Roman Curia official told me years ago, "At the Vatican you learn the weight of a comma." Perhaps, once upon a time. We seem to be quite sloppy in how we use language today. But maybe that is for strategic or tactical reasons.

Inclusive language

The clericalists and male chauvinists in the Church, in any case, have been extremely deliberative concerning words and terminology in the area of inclusive language.

This is certainly the case in the English-speaking world where more traditionally-minded and doctrinally-unbending Church leaders have blocked even efforts to make "horizontal language" (i.e. between members of the human race, compared to the "vertical language" we use in reference to God) more inclusive.

For example, it is quite unnecessary - as well as absurd and perhaps even un-Christian - to continue using the term "man" when one is talking about all humanity, both men and women.

Language evolves over time, as does our understanding of it and what it signifies.

The ongoing refusal to offer translations - of the lectionary, missal, and Church documents - in a sensible form of inclusive language is an impediment to reaching the many women and men who are put off or alienated by the more traditional, patriarchal manner of using language. That includes the incessant references to God as "him".

And while we're on the topic of using language in an imprecise manner (sometimes even deliberately), should we also talk about those who insist on preserving the so-called Traditional Latin Mass, which was not eliminated but reformed (simplified and restructured) in the wake of Vatican II?

Many devotees of the Tridentine Mass claim it's about the preserving the Latin. But don't be fooled. It's not.

The reformed liturgy can also be celebrate in Latin. In fact, the prototype for the Roman Missal (which contains the Mass prayers) is in Latin. That's why we have all these wonderful translation in the modern languages. Read more

The diocesan documents were synthesised at a national meeting held in Wellington in June.

The introduction to the national document says participants throughout the country "spoke positively and with love about the place the Church has in their lives.

"They want the Church to be a life-giving and active presence in the world, an outward-looking servant Church; a welcoming, inclusive and transformative presence for individuals and communities.

"They see the synodal process itself being as important as the outcome, because in listening to one another the Holy Spirit is present," the introduction says.

However, this experience was not universal.

"For some people, especially those participating as individuals rather than in groups, the process provided an opportunity to express anger, cynicism, hurt and rejection of the Church due to past experiences.

"The Church was named as a place of alienation and irrelevant, especially in its teaching on human sexuality.

"The responses from those who feel ignored, excluded or who have been deeply hurt made painful reading, but their desire to be part of a welcoming Catholic community was clear.

"Their responses are valued and we are learning from them," say the bishops.

New Zealand's Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) says six themes have emerged from the diocesan phase of the 2023 Synod on Synodality.

These are: inclusion, gathering, leadership, education and formation, mission, and synodality and change.

Points from the six main Aotearoa New Zealand themes:

• Inclusion: We want the Church to be a non-judgmental and safe place of welcome and belonging. Church teaching which excludes some people from the Eucharist is causing pain and hurt. Awareness of those who feel marginalised or excluded can lead to new attitudes and action. Action on inclusion must be part of our synodal journey.
• Gathering: There is great love for the Mass, but also concerns about inclusion and lay participation. A new English translation of the Roman Missal is needed. Homilies must help people to encounter Jesus in the reality of their lives. If lay people are allowed to give homilies, they must have good formation. Small groups for prayer, formation, scripture study and mission to build community are needed.
• Leadership: Collaborative ministry should become the norm, with greater sacramental involvement for lay people. Co-responsible leadership with barriers to lay participation in decision-making removed. Women participate equally in decision-making and have greater participation in liturgical roles.
• Mission: Formation is needed for mission, and help with engaging in mission collectively. Ecumenical activity and interfaith dialogue need to be embraced as part of mission. Shame related to abuse in the Church makes evangelisation difficult. Prophetic leadership is needed in the community on social justice, ecological and bicultural issues. The only public voice of the Church for many is on euthanasia and human sexuality.
• Education and Formation: Further formation is needed for both lay people and clergy in discernment and synodality. There is a need for catechesis in Church teaching. Education and formation in safeguarding is essential for both lay people and clergy. Seminarians' formation should involve more community engagement and include biculturalism and cultural sensitivity. Both clergy and laity need formation in collaborative ministry and co-responsible leadership.
• Synodality and Change: The Synod process is exciting and transformative. We want to bring back those who are missing. Synodality and discernment can help us change while holding on to what is central to our faith. We want to learn to journey together in a synodal way.

The national document has been sent to Rome as part of the Pope's synodal path to the Church's future, which will culminate in the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome in October next year.

Similar national documents have been compiled by bishops' conferences around the world.

They will be used by the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops to draft a working document in preparation for the October 2023 synod.

Bishops' conferences will also take part in "continental" gatherings, in New Zealand's case a gathering of Oceania conferences which will include Australia and Pacific island states.

Source

• NZ Catholic Bishops Conference
• National Synod Synthesis

Ten years later, a "tribunal" of older sisters decided she did not have a vocation and sent her packing.

Just days earlier, Jesuit Father Giovanni Cucci, professor of psychology and philosophy at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University, published an article calling for greater church attention to psychological and physical abuse in communities of women religious.

So began a journey for Cernuzio, who set out to speak to women willing to share their stories.

The book includes interviews with 11 women; one was sexually assaulted by a priest but was told by her superiors that she must have led him on.

Others recount abuses of power and psychological or emotional abuse, mainly through acts of cruelty, humiliation and a denial of medical or psychological assistance.

Several of them mention how, particularly in the novitiate, they were required to ask permission to do or to have anything — including to take a shower or to have sanitary products during their menstrual cycle.

One told him she is looking for a way out of her community.

"I don't know where I'll go, I just want to follow Jesus, and it's not possible here. I can't live in this situation anymore and I'm afraid of destroying my physical, psychological and spiritual health. I hope to find help, maybe from some laypeople because I know that my congregation doesn't care about me," she said.

"As I have heard so many times: the fault is always with the one who leaves."

Cucci said the 11 women's stories have several things in common. One is the tendency in some more traditional orders to keep the same superior or superiors in office for decades. This can lead them to "confuse their will with the will of God" for the sisters in their community.

They also confuse uniformity with the unity of or peace within the community and treat any form of questioning as not only a challenge to the superior, but as a rejection of God's will.

The stories also show how slow the church is to change the way it deals with sexual abuse.

"‘Safeguarding' the good name of the institute is the priority, sacrificing the victim. The abused religious is transferred after being accused of seducing the priest and the priest stays in place, continuing his predatory activity undisturbed."

In the book's preface, Xavière Missionary Sister Nathalie Becquart, one of two undersecretaries of the Synod of Bishops, said the church must listen to the victims of such abuse.

In her view the solution is to adopt Pope Francis's model of a "synodal church" where every baptized person is respected, listened to and takes responsibility for caring for one another and being missionaries in the world.

Source

• Crux Now
• Image:Asia News
  

"First, the constant sarcasm, then the silent treatment and not knowing what's really going on with our finances. When he was furloughed last spring, he started throwing things, and one time he started to choke me … " her voice trails off.

"He's been swearing at the children, too, and smacked the dog on its head, hard, the other day, out of the blue. I don't know what to do," she whispers.

Do most clergy know what to tell this woman?

Maybe they remember a seminary lecture in which they heard that a couple such as this one shouldn't be in marriage counselling. Do they suggest the couple stop seeing a therapist together? Maybe they feel the need to hear her partner's version.

What if the woman's spouse has recently offered to rig the campus with much-needed technology?

What if the congregational leader's own exhaustion makes them quail at taking on another complicated pastoral situation?

As a congregational rabbi and 12-year member of Jewish Women International's Clergy Task Force to End Domestic Abuse in the Jewish Community, I know I'm not alone in wanting a smarter way to support families suffering from abuse.

The pandemic has spurred greater awareness of risk factors for domestic violence and new thinking about intimate partner violence.

Our understanding has become more comprehensive and well-coordinated, more survivor-oriented, more trauma-informed.

That new thinking is amply evident in a report recently released by Jewish Women International titled "Domestic Violence in the Jewish Community," and based on a yearlong needs assessment of services for survivors within the Jewish community. It offers recommendations that do not shoehorn the needs of survivors into systems that have not been serving them well — civil and criminal justice systems, child welfare systems, government benefits systems, and economic and employment systems.

As the report highlights, survivors seeking help turn first to friends or families, then to clergy.

Not a single domestic violence service provider interviewed for the report indicated that survivors turn initially to hotlines/help lines, secular domestic violence programs, medical professionals or law enforcement.

Instead, most survivors turn to a trusted community in times of crisis.

Ready or not, clergy are likely to be sought out more frequently by those intent on leaving homes beset by quarantine and quarrelling.

While the report addresses questions particularly facing Jewish communities, many of them are relevant to other faith communities.

For instance, if a victim does decide to leave her abuser, can you as clergy help her to stay in the community? What would a trauma-informed response to her suffering look like, such that you do not inadvertently misdirect her into re-traumatizing experiences?

What if she and her children need transitional shelter? Could you recommend, based on firsthand knowledge, where to go? Are you prepared to talk about safety planning? Able to help her name which of the four "stages of change" that those in hurtful or unhealthy situations tend to move through on the way to safety and stability? (The report describes the role of clergy in all four stages: pre-contemplation, contemplation, action, long-term healing and independence.)

Are there resources at hand to offer immediate spiritual nourishment to someone feeling both trapped and full of self-blame for her entrapment? Come to think of it, ever since you heard from the preschool teacher that this congregant's daughter recently slapped another student to the ground, you've noticed a pronounced tic in the daughter's eye. If she acts out again, what advice will you give her teacher?

This report is meant to jump-start discussions that will lead to culturally specific interventions and robust, innovative partnerships — between clergy and local shelters and between seminaries and local clergy on the front lines, as well as collaborations with real estate investors who could provide long-term housing solutions for those fleeing domestic violence.

Clearly, new thinking about the needs of survivors and new resources to help them are already here. If we clergy are the people with more authority than power, now is the time to lean on that authority to help relocate the very definition of support for the families we serve.

• Rabbi Donna Kirshbaum, who serves Bethlehem Hebrew Congregation in New Hampshire, is chair of the communications committee for Jewish Women International's Clergy Task Force to End Domestic Abuse in the Jewish Community.
• First published in RNS.
• The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.

You have the right to be safe

If you are a victim of family violence or in a relationship that makes you fearful about your own or anyone else's safety, seek help as soon as possible.

• Elder Abuse Helpline | 0800 32 668 65 - 24 hours
• Family violence information line (link is external) | 0800 456 450
• Gandhi Nivas (link is external) - supporting men to be free from violence | 0800 426 344
• Hey Bro helpline (link is external) - supporting men to be free from violence | 0800 HeyBro (439 276)
• Hohou te rongo kahukura - outing violence (link is external) - building rainbow communities free from violence
• National network of stopping violence (link is external) | 03 391 0048
• Sensitive Claims ACC (link is external) | 0800 735 566
• Shakti - for migrant and refugee women | 0800 742 584 - 24 hours
• Shine National Helpline (link is external) | 0508 744 633 - 9am to 11pm
• Victim Support (link is external) - support for men and women victims | 0800 842 846 - 24 hours
• Women's Refuge crisis (link is external) line | 0800 733 843 - 24 hours
• You, me, us (link is external) - promoting healthy queer, trans and takatäpui relationships

Priests, lay experts and canon lawyers alike say the Vatican needs to revisit how the church protects its seminarians, nuns and even rank-and-file parishioners from problem bishops and cardinals, who for centuries have wielded power and authority with few — if any — checks or accountability.

McCarrick was only investigated and defrocked by Pope Francis because a former altar boy came forward in 2017 to report the prelate had groped him when he was a teenager in the 1970s. It was the first time someone had claimed to be abused by McCarrick while a minor, a serious crime in the Vatican's in-house legal system.

And yet the bulk of the Vatican's 449-page forensic study into the McCarrick scandal released Tuesday dealt with the cardinal's behaviour with young men: the seminarians whose priestly careers he controlled and who felt powerless to say no when he arranged for them to sleep in his bed.

The report found that three decades of bishops, cardinals and popes dismissed or downplayed reports of McCarrick's misconduct with the young men.

Confidential correspondence showed they repeatedly rejected the information outright as rumour, excused it as an "imprudence" or explained it away as the result of McCarrick having no living relatives.

McCarrick's friends and superiors went to enormous lengths to find ways to claim his behaviour wasn't necessarily sexual, couldn't be proven and would cause a scandal if it ever went public.

Their decades-long reflex to turn a blind eye was evidence of the church's old boys culture of silence, clerical privilege and protection of reputations at all cost.

No one ever thought about the effect of his behaviour on the young men.

The report faulted in particular St. John Paul II, who appointed McCarrick archbishop of Washington and later made him a cardinal despite having commissioned an inquiry that confirmed he bedded his seminarians. The report recommended he not be promoted.

But John Paul gave McCarrick the most influential position in the U.S. church, which, coupled with his role as a major U.S. fundraiser, meant the cardinal wielded enormous power as he hobnobbed with presidents, prime ministers and three popes.

"The reason we had a McCarrick was because he pulled so much power to himself, relatively quickly," said the Rev. Desmond Rossi, a former seminarian under McCarrick who was interviewed for the report.

"I think the church has to look at the authority and power that people are given: How do we guarantee that it's used in a healthy way?"

The question for the church is also a legal one, just as it is in the secular sphere. Vatican and U.S. Catholic leaders had known since the 1990s that McCarrick slept with his seminarians. But that wasn't a firing offence under the church's canon law — then or now.

Since McCarrick's seminary victims weren't minors, they weren't considered victims at all, and in those years even priests who repeatedly raped children had their crimes covered up.

McCarrick rose to the heights of the Catholic hierarchy merely bothered by occasional "rumours" that he had been "imprudent" with the young men.

"It does get down to this idea that somehow when someone turns 18, a) they're no longer vulnerable, and b) that they have the ability to protect themselves," said David Pooler, a professor of social work at Baylor University and an expert in clergy sexual abuse of adults.

"And what I have learned from my research is that that's simply not true: that there's nothing magical about becoming an adult and being able to then protect oneself in a vulnerable place," he said.

Pooler said a seminarian is really in no position to offer meaningful, free consent to any sexual activity with his bishop, since his bishop has all the power in the relationship. A bishop or seminary rector determines whether the seminarian can continue in his studies, is ordained a priest, or is assigned to a good parish.

"Only when there is sort of equal freedom and kind of equal power in the relationship could there ever possibly be consent," Pooler said. "And that's just impossible between a priest and someone who's in seminary, or a priest and someone who's just in their congregation or parish."

The Vatican has long sought to portray any sexual relations between priests and adults as sinful but consensual, focusing in recent years only on protecting minors and "vulnerable adults" from predator priests. The Vatican's legal norms have defined "vulnerable" people as those who are disabled or consistently lack the use of reason.

Only in the past year or so, amid the #MeToo reckoning, has the Vatican even admitted publicly that religious sisters can be sexually abused by priests, bishops or even their own mother superiors. The McCarrick scandal now stands as a case study of how seminarians can be exploited and abused by the men who hold power over them.

"People have the tendency to believe the one who is in power, and not the one who is powerless," said Karlijn Demasure, director of the Centre for Safeguarding Minors and Vulnerable Persons at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. "

And that's the whole change in culture that has to happen: that one has to listen to the vulnerable and not to the ones who are in power." Continue reading

"I think there is a possibility of a revolt of religious sisters," said Lucetta Scaraffia, the former head of the Vatican magazine Donne, Chiesa, Mondo (Women, Church, World), adding that many nuns she has heard from "are furious."

Published Aug. 1 in La Civiltà Cattolica, the article raised concerns about the "lack of attention that abuse within female congregations has garnered," particularly overreach by some orders' mothers superior.

Superiors were said to enjoy better health care services and opportunities for vacations, while rank-and-file nuns are denied access to eye doctors or dentists, some sisters told the magazine.

Other nuns reported not even being able to enjoy a walk outside without asking for permission.

The article, by the Rev. Giovanni Cucci, also detailed the practice of "importing vocations" — bringing young nuns from other countries who don't speak Italian and are therefore more easily exploited. Their communities, he wrote, "are experienced more as a prison."

He also called attention to cases of sexual abuse of nuns by superiors.

The accusations "may appear puzzling and hard to believe for those who live in male congregations," wrote Cucci, "in the face of which one can simply smile."

Scaraffia, who left Donne, Chiesa, Mondo in March 2019 after denouncing a climate of "cover-up and censorship" created by Vatican higher-ups, said the Civiltà Cattolica article represents an effort to undermine the newfound voice of nuns in the church.

"It's a way to tell sisters that if they have press conferences, make their voices heard and denounce sexual abuse, (church authorities) will air all their dirty laundry," she told Religion News Service.

In her tenure at Donne, Chiesa, Mondo, Scaraffi published accounts of numerous cases of sexual abuse of nuns by male clergy. Her articles drew a wave of media attention to the conditions Catholic nuns endure around the world and helped inspire the #NunsToo movement.

"Nuns are emerging and speaking up as protagonists, but the church continues to ignore their existence," Scaraffia said.

A 2018 report by The Associated Press investigated numerous cases of sexual abuse of nuns by clergy in Asia, South America, Europe and Africa, attributing it to "the universal tradition of sisters' second-class status in the Catholic Church and their ingrained subservience to the men who run it."

Other cases in Italy and Chile have brought calls for the Vatican to investigate.

The same year, a superior of the Missionaries of Jesus, a local women's order, accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar, India, of raping her 13 times between 2014 and 2016.

Nuns from her congregations filed charges that ran to 2,000 pages and, when the church was slow to answer, marched in the streets.

Mulakkal, currently facing trial, has since been accused of rape by a second religious sister. (It was recently announced that he has contracted COVID-19.)

Scaraffia accused the church of hypocrisy for allowing the sexual abuse of nuns to go unpunished, especially in cases where the nuns have been forced to have abortions. "This is very serious for a church that claims to fight abortion," she said.

In February 2019, Pope Francis called bishops to a summit at the Vatican to address the sexual abuse crisis, which also took into account the cases reported by religious sisters. Scaraffia said a nun addressed the cardinals at the summit, stating that she had undergone three abortions after repeated rapes by a priest in her diocese.

During a papal visit to the Middle East after the summit, Francis lamented the behaviour, which he said stemmed from a society that "views women as second class."

He called the abuse of religious sisters by priests "a scandal" and hinted that it was a long-standing issue within the Catholic Church.

In May 2019, Francis imposed mandatory reporting rules for sexual abuse in all male and female religious orders.

The International Union Superior Generals, a global network of almost half a million nuns, asked its members to report sexual abuse and promoted "open conversations" within convents and better formation for nuns.

Still, Scaraffia, who said she has heard thousands of complaints from nuns about sexual abuse by priests, criticized the Vatican for not taking the necessary measures or looking into the charges appropriately.

"I love the church and I fight for the church," she said, adding that the church would have to deal with "a great rebellion" brewing among nuns.

"Don't forget that women are a revolution," she said.

• Claire Giangravé - Vatican Correspondent RNS. First published in RNS. Republished with permission.

A police raid on Oct. 14 found them chained and subjected to various physical abuses inside the boarding school based in Katsina.

Katsina's police chief Sanusi Buba told reporters that the house had more than 300 young men. "They rebelled because of inhuman treatment they have suffered," he said.

According to him, the school was set up 40 years ago by a 78-year-old Muslim cleric, Bello Mai Almajirai. The residents come from various parts of Nigeria and the neighbouring Niger. Read more

I

As a result, the path is cleared for Archbishop Luigi Ventura to be prosecuted by the French authorities over the allegations, with one incident said to have taken place at the Paris town hall at a mayoral address to diplomats.

"This is an extraordinary gesture that confirms the wish of the Nuncio, as he said at the very beginning of this matter, to collaborate fully and voluntarily with the French judicial authorities," a spokesman for the Vatican explained.

The decision by the Holy See is a remarkable one and marks a significant shift in the Vatican's approach to such cases.

It indicates an awareness of the damage done by the abuse crisis, and how it is no longer sustainable for the Holy See to use the protection afforded to diplomats when allegations of sexual misconduct arise.

Up until now the Vatican have been reluctant to waive immunity for their diplomats accused of abuse.

In August 2017, the Holy See recalled Mgr Carlo Capella, an official working at the papal embassy to Washington DC after the United States' authorities notified them that he had viewed child pornography. Both the US and Canada - where is also accused of downloading the offending material - wanted to prosecute Mgr Capella.

After he was recalled, the Vatican put the Italian diplomat on trial in their own courts and sentenced him to five years in prison.

Then there was the case of Polish Archbishop Josef Wesolowski, recalled as papal ambassador Dominican Republic in August 2013 and dismissed from his position. Soon after, the Dominican Republic started an investigation into whether he had sexually abused boys.

Wesolowski was laicised following a canonical trial and died in 2015 of a heart attack while awaiting a Vatican City State trial for possession of child pornography.

The decision to recall diplomats facing prosecution is in line with international law as set out by the Vienna Convention of 1961, and immunity is often claimed by countries such as the United States, even for relatively minor infringements.

It is hard to say definitively whether the Holy See will now operate a blanket policy of lifting immunity when allegations against diplomats are made. Continue reading

• Image: BBC

The Minister for State Services, Chris Hipkins, said setting out the principles was an important step in rebuilding trust between the government and those abused while in state care.

The six principles are:

• Manaakitanga - treating people with humanity, compassion, fairness, respect and responsible caring that upholds the mana of those involved;
• Openness - being honest and sincere, being open to receiving new ideas and willing to consider how we do things currently, and how we have done things in the past;
• Transparency - sharing information, including the reasons behind all actions;
• Learning - active listening and learning from the Royal Commission and survivors, and using that information to change and improve systems;
• Being joined up - agencies work together closely to make sure activities are aligned, engagement with the Royal Commission is coordinated and the resulting actions are collectively owned;
• Meeting our obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi - honouring the Treaty, its principles, meeting our obligations and building a stronger Maori-Crown relationship through the way we operate and behave.

Hipkins said that if the Royal Commission made recommendations as it identifies trends and issues over the next four years, he expects government agencies to start responding to those recommendations as they are made.

"It is thought that at least half of children in state care were Maori," he said.

"It is vital that their experiences are recognised and respected by Crown agencies."

Hipkins said his expectation was that the principles-based cross-agency approach will help enable this.

He said the concerns of Pacific people and people with disabilities also needed to be addressed.

The Royal Commission will present an interim report in December 2020 and its final report by January 2023.

Source

• radionz.co.nz
• abuseinstatecare.royalcommission.govt.nz
• beehive.govt.nz
• Image: abuseinstatecare.royalcommission.govt

The terms causing concern are "faith-based institutions" and "in care".

The confusion emerged after the Government announced the Royal Commission will look into both state and faith-based institutions.

On Tuesday commission spokeswoman told the Otago Daily Times (ODT) she could not answer questions about the scope, except to say the new terms of reference would be reviewed by it and its lawyers.

The ODT says the terms of reference specifically excluded private settings for abuse involving faith-based institutions.

The bishop of Dunedin, Michael Dooley, said that if that was so, the inquiry needed to go further.

All parishioners were in the pastoral care of their priest, so any abused by clergy needed to be heard, he believed.

And while most commentators have focused on the inclusion of "care of faith-based institutions", Dr Stephen Winter has pointed out there is a range of other changes.

The senior lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the University of Auckland suggests the expanded remit of the Royal Commission potentially includes any situation in which the state had responsibility for a young or vulnerable person.

He says that while the inclusion of faith-based care is a significant change, but "equally important is the inclusion of all state and private schools, early childhood centres and police custody."

"To give a sense of what this means, there are around 2530 schools, 5585 early childhood centres and 330 police stations in New Zealand."

"... and that is to say nothing of people in care in hospitals, prisons, health camps and so on."

Winter points other changes made increase the scope and complexity of the inquiry:

• The draft terms referred to children and young people, whereas now, anyone who is in care for reasons relating to disability is included
• There is specific permission to consider experiences beyond previously announced 1900 to 1999 time period
• A powerful role for the Treaty of Waitangi also adds to the Commission's complexity.

Some Maori abused in state care say they will be silenced in the government inquiry now that it includes those abused in faith-based institutions.

However, Murray Heasley of Ngati Raukawa, spokesperson for The Network of Survivors of Abuse in Faith-based Institutions, said extending the inquiry scope would strengthen voices not diminish them.

The press release from the prime minister's press also states that as well as being able to look into physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse, and neglect, the Inquiry will also be able to look into inadequate care or improper treatment that resulted in serious physical or mental harm to the person.

The inquiry has been renamed and is now called Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-Based Institutions

Read the press release

Source

• newsroom.co.nz
• radionz.co.nz
• odt.co.nz
• odt.co.nz
• Image: nzherald.co.nz