- Listen to the Church in the midst of Sex Scandals?
One of my Parishioners forwarded to me a letter of his daughter (14 years old) who express her confusion about her faith. In the letter, this young girl expresses her faith in Jesus but opposes the Church’s teaching, especially on moral issues. In short, she said, “Jesus Yes, Church No.” She considers herself as a follower of Jesus without being in the Church. The father of this girl, who belongs to a Family Movement in our parish does not believe that his daughter arrived at this point of disorientation.
Reading the letter of this young girl, some questions arise in my mind. What’s wrong with the Church? What have I done as a priest? What should the Church do? What should I do in response to this crisis?
While I ponder these questions, the news about sex scandals in France has spread around the world. According to the report “over the past 70 years, the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church found that at least 216,000 children were subjected to abuse at the hands of Catholic priests and members of religious orders.”[1] In fact, Pope Francis expresses this painful situation by acknowledging it as “a moment of shame” for the Catholic Church.[2]
The sex scandals happened not only in Europe or in North America but also happened in many countries. It happened as well in the Philippines. For instance, a few years ago, one of the priests (Monsignor) in the Diocese of Antipolo, was arrested in Marikina City for allegedly "booking" a 13-year-old girl through a pimp.[3]
This sex scandal has been a painful experience for the Catholic Church. This crisis can’t be justified by defending that the same scandals happened also in other religions or institutions. We cannot also defend the Church by saying that there are still many good priests who give a good testimony in the Church though it’s true. Rather, this crisis calls us to purify ourselves, discerning together, walking together so that the Church and her mission can be a credible witness in and for the world.
This crisis of sex scandal can be a stumbling block for the mission of the Church. This crime even becomes more serious in this time of globalization where everybody uses social media. Whatever happens in the Church will be known including this painful scandal that happened years and years ago. Thus, it’s a time for the Church to look inward, to renew from within so that her mission will be appreciated by the youth without hesitation.
- Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle: The Smell of the Sheep: Knowing their pain and healing their wounds is at the core of the shepherd's task[4]
A Forgiven, forgiving Church.
In the midst of these serious scandals, the Church must acknowledge her sins without defending or covering up such crimes. Cardinal Tagle put it rightly, “we humbly and sorrowfully admit, that wounds have been inflicted by us bishops on victims and in fact the entire body of Christ. Our lack of response to the suffering of victims, and yes even to the point of rejecting them and covering up the scandal to protect perpetrators and the institution has injured our people, leaving a deep wound in our relationship with those we are sent to serve.”[5]
This attitude of humility can be seen also in the action of Pope Francis recently when he responds to the sex scandals in the Catholic Church in France. Pope Francis expresses his sadness saying "I wish to express to the victims my sadness and pain for the trauma they have suffered. And also my shame, our shame, my shame for the inability of the Church for too long to put them at the center of its concerns."[6] The Church’s acknowledgment is a clear sign of her need for forgiveness. Indeed, we all need to be forgiven.
The Church as the Wounded Healer
In his reflection on the encounter between the Risen Lord and Thomas, the apostle, Cardinal Tagle underlines that “from seeing the wounds of the Risen Lord, he (Thomas) makes the supreme profession of faith in Jesus as Lord and God. Seeing and touching the wounds of Jesus are fundamental to the act and confession of faith.”[7] Thus, the Church can only be an authentic witness of the Gospel as long as she is constantly touched on the wounds of humanity.[8] In other words, only those who encounter Jesus, the wounded one, can be a messenger of healing and hope for the victims of sexual abuse.
Moreover, reflecting on Jesus’ wounds, Cardinal Tagle offers us a strong message that “Jesus’ wounds also remind them (the Apostles) and us that wounds are often inflicted by the blindness of ambition and legalism and misuse of power that condemned an innocent person to die as a criminal. The wounds of the Risen Christ carry the memory of innocent suffering, but they also carry the memory of our weakness and sinfulness.”[9] This is a call for conversion for the entire Church and the Church’s leader particularly.
The Church Extends God’s Justice and Mercy
One of the questions that the Church needs to answer is how to heal the wounds of both the victims and the perpetrators. Cardinal Tagle wisely offers his pastoral approach states that “regarding victims, we need to help them to express their deep hurts and to heal from them. Regarding the perpetrators, we need to serve justice, help them to face the truth without rationalization and at the same time not neglect their inner world, their own wounds.”[10] This approach on justice and mercy also can be found in Pope Francis’ message in which he strongly condemns and applies zero tolerance for the perpetrators and those people who cover up the crimes.[11]
Cardinal Tagle concludes his presentation on the occasion of Meeting “The Protection of Minors in the Church” with hope saying, “The Church hopefully would be a community of justice coming from communion and compassion, a Church eager to go forth on a mission of reconciliation to the wounded world in the Holy Spirit.”[12]
- Missiological Approach: An attempt to respond to the sex scandal in the Catholic Church
Mission as a Prophetic Action
If Jesus were alive today, would he stay silent in the midst of a sex scandal in the Church today? I do believe that Jesus would condemn all the perpetrators. Jesus would not be silent when evil take away the joy of the minors, the children. To the Christians, church leaders he would strongly say, “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes! (Mt 18:6-7). Here we can see how Jesus as a prophet never tolerate the crime that caused the little ones to suffer and lose their faith. Indeed, Jesus always speaks out against injustice done by the religious leaders in his time. Jesus always defends the oppressed, the widows, the sick, and the orphans.
Through Jesus, we can see that a prophet is someone who speaks out against violence and oppression in society. Albert Nolan put it rightly, “prophets are people who speak out when others remain silent. They criticize their own society, their own country, or their own religious institutions.[13]It is in midst of a sex scandal that the Church needs a prophetic witness. We need people who can voice out the voice of the voiceless. We cannot cover up the evil that causes great suffering for the victims or the innocents.
Fortunately, the Church listen to the voice of the prophets around her. The openness of the Church to the voice of the victims can be seen in Pope Francis’ response to this crisis. Recently, Pope Francis thanks journalists for reporting and exposing the sex scandals that have been happening in the Catholic Church. To the journalist who works for the Vatican, the Holy Father said "I also thank you for what you tell us about what goes wrong in the Church, for helping us not to sweep it under the carpet, and for the voice you have given to victims of abuse."[14]
Pope Francis not only thanks to those people who exposed the sex scandal, but he also condemns as he strongly emphasizes "It is essential that we, as a Church, be able to acknowledge and condemn, with sorrow and shame, the atrocities perpetrated by consecrated persons, clerics, and all those entrusted with the mission of watching over and caring for those most vulnerable. Let us beg forgiveness for our own sins and the sins of others."[15]
Moreover, the prophetic message of Christians can be channeled through witnesses. St. Francis of Assisi describes it beautifully “Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words.” The mission of the Church will be fruitful if we become a witness of the Gospel through our deeds. It is in the spirit of witness that we allow ourselves to be empowered by others, listening to others without claiming exclusively the truth.
Mission as a Mystical Action
Can a mystic become a missionary? Perhaps this question is quite strange especially when we define missionaries as people who dedicate their lives to the mission field. But this question would not be strange for those who look at mission as the natural identity of being a Christian. Or just look at a patron saint for the mission, St. Therese of the Child Jesus. She is one of the patrons for missionaries not because she was busy preaching the gospel in Africa or Asia, but because she spent time in prayers in union with God.
Therefore, in order for the Church to be relevant and a credible witness of the gospel she needs to be one with God in prayers. When we look at the life of Jesus, the secret of his ministry, preaching, doing miracles lies in his intimate relationship with his Father, Abba. His heart always moves with compassion because he is one with Abba. In the midst of a crisis in the Church, we need more people, Christians, Church leaders who are rooted in prayer. By doing so, our words and actions can empower people.
Mission as Reconciliation
After condemning the crime of sex scandal, pursuing justice for the victims, what next to do? How can the Church offer reconciliation to the victims of sex scandal and their families? How can we heal the wounds of the victims? I think one way to do it is through a path of reconciliation. This reconciliation first of all is “the work of God, a work of grace, and is offered first and foremost by the victim of injustice and violence.”[16]
Therefore, the mission of the Church is to extend God’s mercy. This is the way of Jesus, the face of God’s mercy. In his ministry, Jesus always forgives, welcomes the sinners, heals the sick, and defends the oppressed, the voiceless. Beyond all the sense of guilt in the midst of sex scandal, we need to move forward in humility asking for forgiveness of one another and spreading God’s mercy and compassion.
- Conclusion:
“Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words.” These words of St. Francis of Assisi reveal to the Church the necessity of leading the people with a good example. Indeed, we need an authentic and credible witness in our mission. We as one Church, one body of Christ has suffered and this is the time to heal, renew and look forward with hope. Our mission will be fruitful when we walk together, embracing together the joys and the sufferings of the world.
One thing that the Church must be aware of is that the Holy Spirit is always present and renew the earth. Looking back at the history of the Church, with all her joys and sadness, with all the witness of many saints and also the sins, scandals we can say that the Holy Spirit has been journeying with the Church up to this present. Thus, mission is always participation with the work of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us be an authentic and credible witness of the gospel through our prophetic action, witness of life, and spreading God’s mercy.
[1] “The Guardian view on sexual abuse and the Catholic Church: contrition is not enough” (editorial), Available at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/10/the-guardian-view-on-sexual-abuse-and-the-catholic-church-contrition-is-not-enough. Accessed On Oct. 13, 2021.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Paterno R. Esmaquel II, “Church vows no cover-up in Taytay priest's case,” Available at https://www.rappler.com/nation/church-no-cover-up-arnel-lagarejos-priest-sex-abuse-diocese-antipolo. Accessed on Oct. 13, 2021.
[4] The second part of this discussion rely heavily on the presentation of Louis G. Cardinal Tagle on the occasion of “Meeting “The Protection of Minors in the Church,” held in Rome on February 2019.
[5] Cardinal Luis A. Tagle, “The Smell of the Sheep: Knowing their pain and healing their wounds is at the core of the shepherd's task,” Available at https://www.vatican.va/resources/resources_card-tagle-protezioneminori_20190221_en.html. Accessed on Oct.13, 2021.
[6] “Pope expresses 'shame' at French sex abuse scandal,” Available at https://www.dw.com/en/pope-expresses-shame-at-french-sex-abuse-scandal/a-59420783. Accessed on Oct. 13, 2021.
[7] Op.cit. Cardinal Luis A. Tagle, “The Smell of the Sheep…. 2.
[8] Ibid. 2
[9] Ibid. 3.
[10] Ibid. 4.
[11] “Pope Francis: Letter to the People of God” Available at https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-08/pope-francis-letter-people-of-god-sexual-abuse.html. Accessed on Oct.14, 2021.
[12] Cardinal Luis A. Tagle, op.cit, 4.
[13] Albert Nolan, Jesus Today: A Spirituality of Radical Freedom, (Quezon City: Jesuit Communications Foundation, INC. 2006), 63.
[14] “Pope Francis thanks journalists for giving voice to victims of abuse,” Accessed On Des. 6, 2021. Available at https://www.romereports.com/en/2021/11/15/pope-francis-thanks-journalists-for-giving-voice-to-victims-of-abuse/.
[15] “Pope Francis condemns child sex abuse and Church cover-ups”, Accessed On De. 6, 2021. Available at https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45249109.
[16] Stephen B. Bevans & Roger P. Schroeder, Prophetic Dialogue: Reflection on Christian Mission Today, (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2011), 70-71.