ST BARNABAS ANGLICAN CHURCH - BLUFF, DURBAN
  • Home
    • Vestry Minutes and Annual Reports
    • Ministries
    • Annual Plans
    • Who's Who
    • Service outline for Sunday
    • Technology
    • Contact Us
  • Funeral Regulations
  • Rectors Page
  • Mission
    • Up Coming Events
    • Food for Thought
  • Sermons
  • Parish News
    • Articles
    • Parish Photo Gallery
  • History
  • Links
  • Weekly Pew Leaflet
  • Covid 19
  • Call to Prayer 2024
    • Fundraising
  • Popi/Paia
  • Disaster Crises Management

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH – STOP CLERGY ABUSE

9/19/2018

0 Comments

 
by Annemarie Paulin-Campbell
​

The Grand Jury Report on clergy sex abuse in Pennsylvania was recently released. It details horrific abuse by 300 priests of at least 1000 victims. It exposes an entrenched culture of covering-up such abuse by Church authorities.
These revelations have rightly evoked angry responses globally. Clergy sexual abuse is one of the most psychologically and spiritually destructive things a person can ever experience.
Pope Francis wrote a strongly worded letter to the whole Catholic Church expressing shame and sorrow. He said that no effort should “be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening.”
However, he says little about what concrete things will be done to change the Church.
This is a Kairos moment for the Church. The time for band-aid approaches is over. Unless we swiftly address the systemic issues that have given rise to such atrocities, we cannot move forward with integrity. The blame-game and scapegoating of some groups must stop. We face a deeply rooted institutional crisis at the heart of Catholicism.
First and foremost, among the issues needing urgent attention, is clericalism and the abuse of power. Pope Francis says: “To say “no” to abuse is to say an emphatic “no” to clericalism.” Priests are part of the community of baptised believers, called by God to pastoral care and service. There are many dedicated priests who are men of integrity; they too are appalled and deeply distressed by the situation. It is when power, status and privilege distort God’s call that terrible things happen. Unfortunately, lay people were taught to put inordinate and uncritical trust in priests, further exacerbating the situation.
The conflation of ordination with decision-making power in the Church is a key problem. Priesthood needs a servant-leadership approach.
We need to rethink making celibacy a pre-requisite for priests. It is a particular call and gift of its own. By linking it with the priesthood, we place unnecessary pressures on those who may have a genuine call to the priesthood but not to celibacy.
The issue of women’s inclusion in decision-making and ministry also needs attention. In addition to the abuse of children, the abuse of women (especially women religious which too has been in the media recently) is, in part, the result of power exercised over them by priests. Women, therefore, are disempowered.
Seminary formation is a key concern. Priests are trained away from the realities of life; they are told they are “set apart” and even dress up to further entrench this. Many start their training immediately after school. They may never have had the experience of adult life in an ordinary context. The psycho-sexual development of students should be a critical part of their formation; currently it is inadequate.
Bishops need to be held accountable. Apart from following protocols, they must ensure that complaints against priests are properly dealt with by civil authorities. We need to expunge the medieval prince-bishop model we still emulate and reject the pomp and ceremony around bishops. They must be shepherds. Lay people must have significantly more say in the running of the Church on all levels.
We must confront this horrific evil head-on. Prayerfully. Discerningly. Courageously. We owe it to those who have been so grievously hurt and to the future generations. Enough is enough. SA.


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Christ is Lord! 
    Christ is King!

     My name is Emilio Kasaba, rector of St Barnabas-Bluff. I enjoy a good debate and I love to see people grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    March 2020
    February 2020
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    March 2014
    August 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011

    Categories

    All
    Break Up
    Community
    Confirmation
    Conflict
    Cut
    Discern
    Egoism
    Evangelism
    Faith
    Gifts
    Growth
    Listening
    Maturity
    Ordained
    Poor
    Prayer
    Priest
    Secret
    Send Away
    Service
    Static
    Tensions
    Time
    Triune God
    Understanding Patience
    Work

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
    • Vestry Minutes and Annual Reports
    • Ministries
    • Annual Plans
    • Who's Who
    • Service outline for Sunday
    • Technology
    • Contact Us
  • Funeral Regulations
  • Rectors Page
  • Mission
    • Up Coming Events
    • Food for Thought
  • Sermons
  • Parish News
    • Articles
    • Parish Photo Gallery
  • History
  • Links
  • Weekly Pew Leaflet
  • Covid 19
  • Call to Prayer 2024
    • Fundraising
  • Popi/Paia
  • Disaster Crises Management