Christian faith combats clerical child abuse

Christian faith combats clerical child abuse
Fr. Shay Cullen
18 August 2023
  
The power of real Christian faith in a person is that it motivates the believer in Jesus of Nazareth and his words to take action to help the downtrodden, to protect, empower, strengthen and enlighten the weak, stand with the sexually abused children, and support the needy and work for justice. That faith, empowered by the belief that goodness, the love of justice, service to the poor, and care for the needy, will overcome and defeat evil and wrong doing and will bring healing and justice to the victims of sexual abuse.

While all good Christians oppose the crimes against children, they may feel helpless how they should respond and find the correct action to bring an end to the abuse and find healing for the child victims. This is where Christian communities must stand together and find a strong united voice rooted in the Gospel condemning the abuse of children. They must take to social media, radio and television and print media to explain what is happening in the world and how abuse is spreading on the Internet and through sex tourism.

Laypeople and church leaders with a good heart must voice their intolerance and their Christian denunciation of inaction against the evil of child abuse. Church authorities and bishops are too silent and tolerant of pedophile priests. Too few church leaders campaign and speak out and act against the evil of child abuse. Many cover up the abuse and shelter the accused and pay off victims and their families.

The bishops should be prophetic and follow the examples of Jesus of Nazareth when he said the abuser of children should have a millstone tied around his neck and he be thrown into the deep sea (Matthew 18:6). Every Christian should trust in the Spirit to guide and empower them to challenge authorities that tolerate sex tourism and child abuse.

They can defend child rights and campaign for stronger laws to protect children. They can demand a children’s court be set up, for example. Preventive education is essential so public speakers must hold training seminars for teachers, social workers and other government officials. The clergy must preach the suffering of the victims of this horrific crime and encourage all to report abuse and support their pursuit for justice.

Lay people must be prophets of prevention. They must speak against the corruption in government and hypocrisy in the Institutional Church as did Jesus speak against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. They can voice their support for victims and give them protection and help. They can support all that Pope Francis is trying to do to stop clerical child abuse and bring abusers to accountability.

They must challenge, too, the inaction by law enforcers and make a call for support and meaningful healing and empowerment of the abused children so they have the self-confidence to pursue legal action against their abusers and bring them to justice. Child abuse victims can be healed and empowered.

The residential live-in center of the Preda Foundation does this through the powerful healing and empowerment released by Emotional Release Therapy. Here, the therapists enable the child victims, in a sound-proof therapy room to voice out, shout, scream, howl, and punch the cushions as if punching the rapist while releasing the hurt and pain of the abuse they suffered.

It is a harrowing experience for the child victim and also for the experienced therapists and more so for anyone hearing such a therapy session for the first time. This is where the screams of anger and hatred pour out of the child. Those pains and anger had been held deep inside, suppressed out of fear, the lack of anyone to trust and tell and share the terrible experience. Many live in silence with the memory of rape.

The victims fear the retaliation or unbelief that would result if they spoke about being raped by their father, brother, another relative or neighbor. Most secret of all is when raped and sexually abused by a priest, teacher, or by a powerful person in the community. They are left feeling totally powerless.

Pope Francis has said of child victims in his letter to The People of God, “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it” (1 Cor 12:26). These words of Saint Paul forcefully echo in my heart as I acknowledge once more the suffering endured by many minors due to sexual abuse, the abuse of power and the abuse of conscience perpetrated by a significant number of clerics and consecrated persons. Crimes that inflict deep wounds of pain and powerlessness, primarily among the victims, but also in their family members alike. . . ”

They can be healed and be empowered to testify and convict their abuser by the therapies and especially the Emotionally Release Therapy, a natural release and a path to peace. In the Preda home, they are empowered to testify clearly, strongly and convince the judge to convict their abusers. Every year, on average, 18 child abusers are convicted. A victory for the judiciary, too.

The true Christian and many non-Christians of good will have Faith that goodness, love and action for justice will overcome evil. This is faith as Jesus taught it, belief driven by compassion and action to help the abused overcome the suffering and injustice. That is the Faith that the real followers of Jesus of Nazareth have and they are the true followers of Jesus among People of God. For all to be true Christians, all must strive to have faith that drives us to action. As St. James wrote, “Faith without action is dead.” Prayer is good, but if it does not motivate us to help others in need, it, too, is dead. Just empty words floating on the wind. If we fail to act and just think that going to church is enough to be a Christian, we are mistaken.

We allow apathy to rule us while surrounded by oppression, crimes against the poor and against children and allow evil to thrive by doing nothing. It will gain us nothing. If so, then we are far from being a true disciple of Jesus of Nazareth. Love of neighbor, if genuine, will drive us to be involved and act with a love of justice.

There are hundreds of thousands of true Christians including good, spiritual and action-oriented priests and bishops and consecrated people that are striving for justice, truth and helping the needy in many different ways. They are truly dedicated and have a heart to serve and not count the cost. They work for the Gospel values and seek no reward. We are blessed if we can be worthy to work with them, especially those that help the victims of child abuse, and be members of the Christian community working for justice to bring about a New Community that lives with compassion and service to the poor.

www.preda.org