Hope amid gloom

by Editor · June 4, 2003

Many South African Catholics will have been shocked by recent revelations of sexual abuse by priests in this country. Many others will have been surprised that it took so long for such revelations to hit the headlines. Invariably, all Catholics will feel distressed that the incidence of sexual abuse by priests is not alien to the South African Church.

Nor is the end in sight. Informed sources suggest that the length of the scandal will be dictated by the patience of newspaper editors, rather than the volume of material.

Although Catholics are right to take exception to headlines such as “Church of shame” and “Brotherhood of silence”, the scandal is not of the secular media’s making. Indeed, as the US Church appreciated the role of the Boston Globe in initially exposing a cancer in the Body of Christ, so should the Sunday Times’ revelations be seen as a positive intervention — provided the media coverage remains responsible.

This week we report on various aspects of the scandal. Importantly, we look at the predicament of abuse victims. It is the victims who should be foremost in our minds and in our prayers. We must presume that those who come forward with credible allegations do so in sincerity and with much courage. The experience of similar scandals in other countries suggests that most survivors of abuse seek an acknowledgment of the injustice that has affected their lives, rather than material reparation. Our failure to respond to them with openness and compassion would serve only to perpetuate the abuse.

Also in our thoughts must be the many priests whose ministry has not been blemished by sexual misconduct, but whose reputation will surely suffer as a result of a scandal they had no part in. It is unjust that virtuous priests now may well be regarded by many with suspicion. Two weeks ago we reported the remarks by the American Bishop Raymond Boland to the US National Federation of Priests’ Councils. He told priests that they “are the victims of friendly fire”, betrayed by the deplorable behaviour of some of their brother clergy.

Bishop Boland is right. Our virtuous priests are victims, too. They too deserve our understanding and our prayer.

It is tempting to say that every priest who has committed crimes of sexual abuse should be dismissed from the clergy. This would be as simplistic as denying that any priest could be guilty of such crimes.

Of course, disciplinary measures must be taken, in addition to any criminal procedures. Scrupulous care must be taken also to ensure that an offender will not be placed in a situation where recidivism is possible.

At the same time, our faith is one that stresses forgiveness and understanding. Perpetrators of abuse cannot just be abandoned.

Hurtful though the on-going revelations are, we must understand that the misconduct of predatory clergy does not depreciate the salvific mission of the Catholic Church.

With one revelation following another, Catholics may well feel dispirited, some even disaffected.

However, amid the painful news there is hope. Like the Church in other parts of the world before, the South African Church now has an opportunity to renew and purify itself. We must not fail to grab that opportunity.