| Foreword: Sexual Abuse in the Church and by Christian ‘sects’ such as Christian Assemblies International (CAI) points to a highly disturbing and continuing trend for sexual abuse to be swept under the carpet and go unreported to police. In this second in a series of writings, former Uniting Church Minister Graeme Ness, reflects on the role of the Church and the Confessional in an age when denial and deceit continues to be the characteristic response of Church and Spiritual leaders to this most pressing issue. |
When the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) released a paper addressing issues of sexuality for discussion across the UCA in the mid 1990’s, one of the older ladies in one congregation said “I don’t know why we have this paper. We have never talked about these things, and I don’t want to talk about them now.”
A few years later I spent two hours with a lady in her 70’s – she was in hospital and was dying. The lady was very agitated and moving restlessly; the family couldn’t understand what she was worried about. After some time she told me she had been sexually abused by her stepfather when she was 11 and I was the first one she had told about it: that experience of sexual abuse had scarred her life impacting on all her relationships. The sad thing was that it was only as death came near that she talked, accepted that the sexual abuse was not her fault, and finally released the hurt and the tension in her body.
The common approach by sexual abusers is to blame their victims for the abuse, telling them that if they talk either no one will believe them, or ‘if’ they do, that others will believe the abuse is the victim’s fault or that they ‘asked for it’. It’s hardly surprising that as a result many of the victims remain silent about their sexual abuse, keeping it to themselves and secret for years, and often for up to many decades.
The belief by leaders of some organisations, especially highly regarded and publicised Christian Churches, that they are not subject to the law of the country they work in, is a medieval concept and was part of the way the law operated during that medieval period. The Lords of the manor, barons, dukes etc., ran their own courts and too often justice for misconduct (including sexual and otherwise) was arbitrary and depended on the goodwill or whim of the Lord. In this context the church operated and wielded its own law.
The problem seems to be that there are leaders in today’s churches and those in positions of authority who apparently believe the medieval system still prevails. In some situations the Catholic Church claims it cannot be sued in civil courts. The reality is however, that we in our society do not accept that the churches are totally separate from the rest of our society: if the churches and those holding position of power in these organisation expect to be protected by the law, then they must also remain subject to the same law.
To claim that a person who has been ‘ordained’ to ministry/priesthood is exempt from obedience to the law of the land, and for the church to deal with him/her separately, is completely at odds with the common law in relation to sexual abuse and is, I believe, a complete failure to take seriously the vows made at the time of ordination.
Catholic archbishop Dennis Hart, at the Royal Commission into Sex Abuse, publicly stated that the Catholic Church believes mandatory reporting of sexual abuse should exclude the confessional.
This suggests to me that the Catholic Church sees the confessional as over-riding the words attributed to Jesus in the Christian Bible: “If any of you puts a stumbling block before one of these little ones [children], 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.” [Matthew 18:6 NRSV]
If the confessional is used as an excuse by the Catholic Church for not dealing with instances of sexual abuse, then it is clearly not appropriate for the confessional to be exempt from mandatory reporting; this should apply equally to any similar process being used in any other church or group.
The fact that the church claims exemption from the common law suggests a gross misuse of power and a gross disservice to many individuals, families and communities. The people whose lives have been affected by experiences of sexual abuse and sexual misconduct, and who have been rendered silent by their loyalty to the very institution that claims to care for and love its members, deserve to be heard and have their abusers dealt with in a proper manner according to the law.
It is time the Catholic Church, along with all other Christian Churches and organisations who claim to be active in addressing issues of sexual abuse, be held accountable for what they have allowed for decades to go unchecked. The confessional, and any equivalent in any other church or organisation, must be subject to mandatory reporting.
By Graeme Ness, Retired Minister of the Uniting Church in Australia, Woolgoolga, NSW, Australia
Related Reading:
Secrecy and Sexual Abuse in the Church
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The Truth about Universal Medicine 
How wrong is it that abusers manipulate the abused to think they will not be believed. They are master manipulators and put on a great ‘face for the world.’ This is why we must look below outside images.
What is being exposed more than ever before are the inconsistencies within the Church, and how there are many gaps in it’s responsibility and respect of the people, common law and so forth.
The question to be asked is about confession itself. It is based on the idea that people are/get impure and get purified through it. Yet, none of that is true in the first place. Confession makes things even worse. While it gives the illusion of getting purified, it cements whatever was there in the first place. So, instead of purification we should talk about petrification. What gets petrified does not go away. If abuse is at stake, confession is not part of the solution but of the problem itself.
There is much evil and corruption in the fact that the church thinks that they are exempt from the common law and that by large we – as a society – have allowed that to continue.
We need transparency and accountability in all institutions, everywhere… especially the church, considering its past history and lack of action in relation to sexual abuse.
Yes and if true change is what was sought there would be no hesitation in implementing those changes.
I have worked with people who have held onto secrets for years and to feel and see the change in them when they allow themselves the freedom of expression and the courage to share with another is very beautiful.
Keeping abuse secret cripples us. When we cannot express what has happened for fear or shame or any other ‘reason’ we literally imprison ourselves and separate ourselves from the rest of the world and cast a black cloud over the event. Healing begins when we allow ourselves our feelings and the emotions that may have come as a result, when we can express them even if at first we are talking to ourselves, we begin to loosen the hold they have over us and free ourselves from that stifling effect we have been living with for however long.
If we keep these kinds of crimes hidden and no one has accountably, then it makes sense that they will continue. The Catholic church should have a zero tolerance of sexual abuse which would discourage any priest from going down that route in the first place, but instead, they have a culture where their actions are hidden.
Accountability is awesome. Always a returning and deepening of love. The accountability we take in our daily lives is that which will impact the accountability of a large organization such as the Catholic Church.
The truth is in fact universal includes everyone. So whatever is conducted under the banner of the Catholic Church impacts just as much as when someone outside the church does it. We all have to come back to our own actions on an energetic level and the laws (both energetic and temporal) apply to all of us, without exception.
The confessional is not failing the church…
A crime is a crime no matter who abuses the law and that fact that priests can be exempt from facing court procedures is a crime in itself. It’s time the church became accountable in dealing with the sexual abuse that is prolific and rife.
Absolutely. We have laws of the land that all citizens should be responsible to. There is also the fact of energetic truths and universal laws, it seems to me that many, our churches, and humanity as a whole have neglected to consider the universal laws we all reside under. There is no escaping this, only the consequences of not honouring them. Consequences that many would prefer not to have, yet the erroneous way of living that disrespects and disregards others is continued.
Why should we allow to treat sexual abuse taken place in any religious organisation differently from the law’s of the country of residence. It absolutely makes no sense.
Staying silent and passive we feed the system… we cannot complain. It means nothing unless we acknowledge and honour ourselves. Change our movements and everything changes.
What the church misses out on here is that true love is absolute – there can’t be exclusions in any way. Sexual abuse is not love and whether it is done by a holy priest or a simple guy of the street, the same law and rules apply.
Yes Lieke, well said. And Love is not only absolute it is also universal and therefore equally for all, no exclusion in any way for those persons and organisations who think have the power to do so.
The aim to control is prevalent in organised religion and church and there is basically nothing that will get in the way of that, and this unfortunately means that abuse is low on the list for resolving or dealing with and what is interesting is that although hidden, what is not hidden the churches often do not really feel any compulsion to counter or really do anything about, because control and domination is paramount. This is not Love,Brotherhood and Equality, this is not true religion.
Abuse is abuse, and we can no longer afford to ignore this fact if we truly care for people and truly want to live in a harmonious world. The motive behind the Catholic Church wanting to be exempt from reporting sexual abuse if confessed is not so people have a ‘safe place to talk to someone without the authorities getting involved’ but because they are trying to cover up abuse.
Very beautifully expressed Graeme. The Catholic church has shown absolute contempt for common law preferring to further its own interests through its own laws. All while it’s members and all of those outside of the church have looked on and accepted this medieval reality. Many horrors have been carried out by the Catholic church but it has only been allowed to happen because the rest of us allowed it to.
Here here Graeme, there is no place that should not be subject to the same laws, be that the church, the armed forces, the police. Any institution that asks for this needs to consider very deeply the integrity they need to live with in their benchmark of harm and free from harm. The body knows the difference and as illustrated in your blog, it has to come to the surface at some point because it is poison to the body.
Sexual abuse cannot be dealt with if there is a culture of secrecy. We have to be transparent about our actions and we have to be prepared to call others to account.
No establishment of any kind whatsoever has the right to ask or claim to be exempt from the common law. What makes their establishment or constituent different to any other? Unfortunately over time because we have not stood up for truth, many have suffered in silence and many have passed over and not spoken up, but lies and untruths are not kept hidden for ever, as every indecent act, past and present comes to light and is exposed exactly for what it is.
Abuse impacts another whether one claims they are religious or not.
As the power they once held over the many starts to crumble, an ancient way of living slowly starts to burn once again.
For this atrocity to go on for so long from way back from medieval times is revealing the lack of truth being claimed amongst us. It’s also shows how much we do not perceive correctly what truth really means or, we feel how we are up against a lot if we claim Our Truth. The way forward is to know what truth feels like in your body and claim that feeling every moment of every day. Through inspiration One by one We will gain strength and power to reclaim back our truth and love in expression. We just need to speak up just like Graeme Ness has – power-full stuff!!!
While the church brings devastation with holding on to its ideas of how to handle the sexual abuse that has and probably still is conducted, it will come to full revelation in time as the holding on to this untruth will eventually deconstruct the whole organisation and will make it disintegrate by its own doing.
The irony here being that there is no hiding in the world of energy (the ‘eyes of God’) in the sense that our every movement carries a consequence if we have moved in a way that is not true to the love that we are. Just like an aggressive movement in water sends out waves that reach others, so too do our actions affect everyone else in the ocean of energy we live within. So we can never ‘get away’ with anything, as it is all recorded energetically and will sit there ‘in the air’ so to speak, until we return to such imprints and re-imprint them with a more loving way to be by learning to move in a way that is in consideration and not abuse of all others who swim beside us.
Yes, no hiding at all and that has been the greatest joy for me to embrace. Somehow we think that what we do out of sight of others can be hidden, and justified as private or between two people, or ‘because I love you’, yet the ripple effect of abuse is felt, it does just ‘sit in the air’ and there are always ripple effects.
The insidious evil of the Religion and The Church is ingrained in the emotion of guilt, this is extremely debilitating and can affect the entire life of a person.
For sure Adele, the churches wield enormous power with spreading these false concepts of guilt and do that knowingly and only for their own gain.
It is difficult to believe that any priest will report sexual abuse if its heard in the confession box. For when it has been reported outside the confession box that a priest have been found out to be sex abusers they get transferred to another area and they do it all over again. So to me it can be clearly seen reporting crime of a sexual nature is not seen as the duty of the “Roman catholic church”.
The church has a horrific history of covering up and not dealing with child abuse, what’s worse we as people we have not shouted from the rooftops this is wrong so in effect we have allowed them to get away with it.
I couldn’t agree more, hiding behind the confessional or other similar methods is not on … no-one is above the law and when someone is abused those responsible must be held accountable no matter who they are.
Any organisation that did not report sexual abuse or other abuses, organisations set up in the name of serving people, would be shut down. The arrogance of the church in keeping quiet is astounding.
Accountability knows no bounds, it cannot be hidden under the guise of a religious organisation, or any other organisation for that matter. Accountability is part of life for every one of us, no one is exempt.
This is such an important topic and one that is not spoken of at all. We need to make time for these types of conversations to be had. Because if we don’t, we will always create a society that wants to hide, be corrupt, doesn’t allow every issue that occurs to be seen and dealt with. Which is exactly what is happening now.
Absolutely Graeme, no organisation should ever consider themselves above the law or exempt from any accountability for their actions – especially when it’s criminal behaviour they are engaging in. If the church and those guilty were held responsible and accountable for their actions rather than the secrecy and corruption of the cover up of sexual abuse we would see a very different outplay occur than the how things have been allowed to run in the past.
Being exempt from common and moral decency is an abuse of power and not to be tolerated any longer.
There has to be more openness and transparency in the Church, especially the Catholic Church that has a very long history of covering up everything, especially sexual abuse. They have had autonomy for far too long with little if any regard or care for the people whose lives have been affected from sexual abuse in their childhood. It is a crime and the priests and perpetrators should be held accountable in the eyes of the law and not hide behind the church’s code of silence.
Let’s we stop for a minute and consider confession. It is amongst the main things in the catholic church. So, one of the main things of that ‘religion’ is what you did ‘wrong’, what you are ashamed of. So, the main communication verses around that. Is it there any space for your true beauty in it? Or is it just ugliness and then submission to it? These questions are relevant independently of the fact that you leave the confession box, do your penitence and you are under the illusion that you are clean, therefore no karma. So, confession confirms the pattern of movement you are in and says to you keep going. That religion is truly harming.
The fact that some of those very high up in the church have recently been accused of sexual abuse, the corruption and constant covering up has to speak more about what is truly at the foundations of the church. They have nothing to do with God.
The church has gotten away with so many things because it is a so called ‘religion’ and often people don’t think further than that and assume it is a holy place where things like respect, integrity and responsibility come naturally, yet, this is not the case. The word religion has been misused to represent the Christian Church; for true religion would not allow to be exempted from law and would not let confessions of sexual abuse been unreported and not acted on, it would not allow sexual abuse to go unnoticed. If we would take away the word religion we would come to see a organisation that is very corrupt and irresponsible.
What you are exposing with these writings is beyond honouring to the many victims that have been silenced or mute for years after their abuse, to have a man of your stature and standing speak about these crimes is worth its weight in gold.
Just today Cardinal Pell has been charged with offences to do with covering up the extent of sexual abuse and possibly with historic sexual offences himself. What absolutely flawed me was reading that of a class of 33 boys 12 committed suicide in one school where the priests were committing rape of children. To cover this up is as evil as the act itself.
Thank you Graeme for this much needed and important blog. Today as I write a senior member of the Catholic Church has been charged with sexual offences. It feels to me this is only the start, the tip of the iceberg of what has truly been happening under the name of ‘God’s work’. For me it’s a chilling reminder that when we act in a way that is unloving or simply not true we contribute to an energy, a force that other people can also tap into. So understood this way we can say – every issue like this we are a crucial part of.
Thank you for sharing your insight here Graeme. The description of the conversation you had the woman before she passed over is very sobering. The way sexual abuse is handled has huge repercussions for all of us. Those who have been subject to this abuse are often traumatised and those who commit these crimes are thoroughly disconnected from the truth of who they are. Huge reforms are needed to ensure these abuses stop.
This is an important read Graeme, if we are to keep these abuses in front of us so that they don’t get swept under the table. It is great that at last many people are able to express what was before suppressed and is now truly being taken seriously. No organization should be exempt from the Law!
It is obvious that this manipulation of the law is an absolute disgrace and destroys people’s lives. The fact this hasn’t been the undoing of the Catholic Church baffles me.
I’m struggling to comprehend how anyone could actually go along with this line of thinking. The more I read about people’s experiences the more I’m shocked about the goings on inside the walls of religious institutions. The corruption is beyond words and the fact that it’s all dressed up as a safe and loving environment is outrageous. Makes me appreciate my awareness around organised religion from an early age, already able to discern the hypocrisy.
It appears to me to be absurd, if not outright obscene, to insist that the confessional can or should be exempt from mandatory reporting – honestly, what is going on here? Do they think they are above the law and above the people whom they are purportedly here to lead to salvation?
The fact that we can have this discussion proves how far away the church is from God. It’s like the opposite of what God represents which proves that they have gone astray a long time ago, if at all they have been aligned to what God truly is, I would say probably not.
If unreported, sexual abuse turns into a long-term game of abuse, in which there is an acceptance of a way of moving through life and an established pattern of interrelationship with the perpetrator, even if there is no physical relationship with him/her.
The laws of the land are in place to protect the most vulnerable and yet the Catholic Church still sees fit to flounce these in the arrogance that it is above any such laws. We are in the 21st century, not the dark ages and it is time that the Catholic Church is made fully accountable for allowing sexual abuse within its priests. The fear that the Catholic Church has instilled in humanity throughout the ages is still living today as shown by your experience Graeme with the elderly lady that had been too fearful to speak up and had held the harm of sexual abuse in her body for the whole of her life.
If indeed we are all one family, Sons of the one God, then no one of us is above the other. We are all accountable under the law of the land and Our Father.
Any lack of transparency has a devastating effect on humanity because it allows all sorts of things to occur within businesses, families, organizations, governments etc and not be addressed. The only way to call out the corruption in the world and properly deal with it is to demand transparency.
It is interesting now how the amount of sexual abuse is beginning to come to the surface. Many of those who have been abused keep it to themselves until they are no longer able to live with it, which can take decades before they find the words to use. There are many organisations that have thought they have been above the law, however in truth no one can be above the law and those perpetrators should be brought to account, and those in authority who have done their best to cover it up should also equally be brought to account too.
There was a time when the dogma of religion surpassed all other rights, and by that I refer of course to the dark ages. But that time has passed, and it is time that the Catholic Church acknowledged that is no longer the all being power it once was, and must as part of society be held acccountable to the same laws that govern us all.
The issue here exposed is that without a law to keep them in order of what is decent behaviour the religions in question would allow the continual rape, sexual abuse and abuse of children to go unchecked. We all know that this is as Godless as it gets. When there is not an ounce of God in religion, but we all still call it religion what have we allowed? If a water company put poison in its water, it would stripped of its right to trade. Why is religion any different? Anyone can dress in regalia and call themselves an authority of God, but what is the truth they are actually living?
It’s absurd to suggest some members of a citizenry be exempt from the law of their land due to their religious or any other affiliation. It actually makes me feel there is something those seeking exemption wish to hide – and this as an aside to the now public knowledge of rampant abuse in the Catholic Church and other faith-based organisations.
Spot on Graeme, the Catholic Church has been allowed to run their own show and take the law into their own hands for too long now. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the crimes that the Church have swept under the carpet, the arrogance of the Church has harmed too many people and it is now time for them to be held accountable for these actions.
I agree with you 100% Graeme. There is no love whatsoever in any type of abuse, and priests and ministers should not be entitled to any ‘special’ dispensation. They are placed in a privileged position of trust and it is an integral part of their duty to be role models and representatives of God’s unconditional love.
ABSOLUTELY, how can we have one rule of law for one and another for others? “If the churches and those holding position of power in these organisation expect to be protected by the law, then they must also remain subject to the same law.” I find it so hard to comprehend how this was ever allowed to be and yet the fear of being excommunicated means catholics in positions of power agree to rules of law that create this inequality. The consequence of this rule is that it allows the sexual abuse of children and that cannot, under any circumstances, be accepted as right by any law of God or the land.
Thank you Grahame for speaking out about a subject that many churches would rather not have exposed. A crime is a crime whether in the church or outside the church, it is not above the law. The lies and cover ups need to be exposed and the penalties for these crimes need to be carried out.
Thank you Graeme for expressing what so many people feel. We cannot say it often enough or loud enough – The church is not above the law. They need to be held accountable for their actions and they absolutely need to make the confessional subject to mandatory reporting.
No one or no body should be above the law, especially when sexual abuse is involved but the reality of the matter is these people may think they are getting away with it but in truth we don’t ever get away with anything, so the sooner everything is out in the open the sooner people can heal the wounds caused by these crimes.
Sexual abuse often creates a bond of silence between two people that can last for a life and an invisible bond of the victim with a deep trauma that also is a life companion. The invisibility and silence are feeders to what happened and help us to hold on to them though.
“Catholic archbishop Dennis Hart, at the Royal Commission into Sex Abuse, publicly stated that the Catholic Church believes mandatory reporting of sexual abuse should exclude the confessional.” How lost are the ones that think that they should get away with something that is so obviously wrong? This also shows how far away we can stray away from being Godly but still think that we are.
Wow, it is absolutely absurd that the Catholic Church considered themselves to be above the law, whether now or hundreds of years ago. It exposes where they think they lie in society and in regards to humanity. No single one of us is above or more than any one else. We are all equal. Any religion that teaches or acts otherwise is clearly not a true religion.
This is another proof for the fact that our society hasn’t truly expanded its expression of love for 100s of years.
The day will come when we realize we all live under the same universal law, we will know as fact that all is recorded and all deeds are paid for.
That would make a change if that was universally accepted as true.
Here here Graeme. It’s difficult even to consider that just because someone works within a church that they are except from the law. As if they have some special access to another law that is beyond the law of the land. It’s a seeing of themselves as being better than another or more entitled because they have closer relationship to God because that’s who they work for. I had never linked the medieval past of how the church was to things now and of course Graeme what you say makes so much sense. It’s definitely time to move into the ‘new era’ and see that no-one is more or less than another. We are in fact equal and therefore subject to all of the same laws.
Well said Jennifer. If every member of every congregation of every denomination stood up and demanded true responsibility we would not have so called ‘religious’ systems in place that allow abusers to continue their crimes.
Thank you Graeme for speaking up about the disgusting and disturbing behaviour of the Catholic Church and other Christian churches. These crimes committed against children should be dealt with by the law not left up to a church that excuses and hides then lies about this abhorrent behaviour.
Graeme I applaud you for standing up and saying so clearly what needs to be said. There appears to be so much secrecy and a ‘boys club’ attitude pervading religions that believe themselves to be above the law. Putting oneself ‘above the law’ is a great way to expose how arrogant those that do this are. It immediately separates the ‘haves’ from the ‘have nots’ with those in the ‘have’ camp believing they are better and some how untouchable. Not someone I would go to seek counsel from thats for sure!
How there can ever be a reason for someone to be exempt from being accountable for their actions whether this is sexual abuse or any other crime, I cannot understand and is inexcusable. This way of thinking exposes the hypocrisy that the Catholic Church stands on.
With great power comes great responsibility – and hence it is for each of us to feel what we play as a role and what our responsibilities are and never ever to take them lightly – it seems to me the Catholic Church has forgotten about the whole responsibility part! Now that is a big oops and because they do not seem to be addressing it properly with due respect to all the victims, then it is for us all as a community and a society to call them up on their responsibility. It is a global responsibility we all hold – not to point the finger and make someone the ‘baddie’ but to pull them up and say ‘this is not ok’, and ensure this is heard and understood and followed through.
For many years the church has misused its power causing abuse and other devastating acts go unnoticed and unreported, the hypocrisy in this is unbelievable and unfortunately still going on in some places today. Enough is enough it is time for all to be held accountable.
It seems insane and beyond belief that we have allowed such a law as Canons Law to exist. The word of God and this law are opposites, how can it be that we as a society harbour and aid the serial abusers of children allowing this law to not only enable but also protect the Catholic Church from the laws that govern the rest of society.
Graeme it is disturbing to see that in todays society the church still wanting to avoid responsibility for the extensive child abuse that has occurred within the practice for hundreds of years, this is one reason perhaps why it continues. As until the root issue, the reason why this is happening is looked at. Until the books are opened and the truth bought for discussion nothing can really be done to help.
Having a confessional gives people a license to do whatever they want and then ask someone else to forgive them. What utter irresponsibility this is.
To be exempt from the law on the grounds of religious belief is very old thinking.
An idea in modern times has no leg to stand on.
No one is above the law. Anyone is free to belong to a religious group but that does not make them any different to everyone else and the law applies to all equally as we are all equal.
There is a higher law to which we all are bound. Yet this does not excuse any, despite the righteousness afforded them by their beliefs – even if they may be true – to disrespect the common law to which humanity has agreed to abide by.
Graeme I find your comment.. “The reality is however, that we in our society do not accept that the churches are totally separate from the rest of our society..” very interesting. It is true, I can say nothing in me accepts that those in the church are separate from the rest of society, and l’m sure I speak for the masses, and yet that is what we have. This is speaking volumes for the complacency of the masses, in allowing this situation to be as it is. It is time for a very big change and for this antiquated and completely abusive system of self-regulation within the church to be exposed and dissolved.
The belief in the Catholic church is still there that they are superior because of their rituals and ways of conduct as can clearly be read from – “Catholic archbishop Dennis Hart, at the Royal Commission into Sex Abuse, publicly stated that the Catholic Church believes mandatory reporting of sexual abuse should exclude the confessional.” Why should a ritual such as the confessional be excluded from public reporting? It is just a role that they play in arrogance and at the expense of human dignity and true appreciation of the fact that we are all equally the same, and that no one is more special or privileged than another. So why do we as a society allow this to continue to exist while we all know what rot and ill ways of behaviour this delivers into our societies?
To me, the whole point of having a confessional is tarnished in the first place. It feels like an excuse to do unloving acts towards oneself or others because you can always be cleared of your sins or ask forgiveness without actually addressing anything on a deeper level. Like getting away with it all and just saying ‘sorry, I shouldn’t have done that but I couldn’t help it’. I’ve never been in a confessional but I feel there is no accountability for actions in this outdated practice.
Wherever there is a lack of transparency, such as is in the Catholic Church, there is a lack of truth and responsibility. We are in an era now where there is a call for greater transparency and that is why the secrets and lies of the Catholic Church are getting exposed.
Thank you Graeme a fantastic exposé. For too long matters of this kind have been shoved under the table. It saddens me that organisations that are meant to be about love act quite the contrary.
Thank you Graeme for very clearly outlining what has indeed been happening in churches. Not just the Catholic Church, but also Christian Churches. That they are aligning to these medieval laws, not those of common laws of today. What they have been allowing does not foster the key things they espouse, quite the opposite in some cases.
Using the Confessional as an excuse for not reporting sexual abuse cases to the law is not taking full responsibility for the choices that have been made in the Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church and its members has abused their authority. Everyone has the same equal ability to connect to God it is not a gift anyone can give you nor is it something you can hold over another in a superiority way. It is not just the Catholic Church people abuse their authority whenever and where ever they can. Until we see that we are here to all work together this will not change.
This is an exceptional and damning exposure of the rot and corruption that lies at the foundation of the church with regards to sexual abuse. There should be no exemption from the law for any religion or person anywhere, abuse is abuse and it needs to be eradicated just as those accountable need to be dealt with accordingly and equally regardless of their faith.
Thank you Graeme for exposing very clearly what the Catholic church has been trying to cover up for many thousands of years- their accountability and responsibility to the people. The church has not wanted to be transparent and now everything has come to the fore and is being exposed.
No matter what organisation, who is behind it, what its message is – at the end of the day – the one thing in common is that they are all made up of people. So to have certain organisations hat are ‘superior’ is an illusion of power that we have allowed in society for too long. As is said here – we are all to be accountable for our actions – the church is no different – and if there cannot be responsibility and transparency then one has to wonder what foundations this organisation has been built on. It is about not holding back anymore or sweeping things under the rug – but in fact bringing everything to light and asking if this is truly loving and supportive or not.
And it is the ongoing silence of the masses that continues to enable those currently holding the self-appointed power that enables this. The cracks are beginning to show however as more are willing to speak up, and others are more willing to listen and say ‘no more’.
Furthermore to call out the misuse of power and abuse inherent in the way such things have been handled to date is very needed. Every human being cannot help but know it deep down, but it often takes another to say it, particularly another from within the group that seemingly holds the power. Your voice is a very important one if this is to ever change from within the circles it applies.
Graeme thank you for speaking up on this very serious topic, your views are very balanced and fair, exactly in line with what I would expect from someone in the sort of position you upheld. Your wisdom and commitment to what is true and just is highly commendable.
What greater prison can you imagine than someone inflicted with a false belief and picture of how life should be? What sadder state will you find than someone who is injured yet who continues to say ‘God would want it this way’? How crazy that we would choose to have so many ‘issues’ of which we can talk and get attention for? For underneath we are one, we are love, we are God’s simplicity. Thank you Graeme for writing on these games and tricks that stop us from seeing that we are free to choose the energy we live.
Churches encourage their congregations to identify themselves as part of ‘the family of the church’ so it is hardly surprising that some families reflect the worst of their abusive behaviour that has been actively ignored for hundreds of years and that those who work closely with families are uncovering more and more. We as a society are now reaping the consequences of staying mute about the ongoing abusive practices and the churches complete failure to address this. Time to act and halt this tide of abuse before it swamps us all.
It is not possible for any other organisation or individual to choose to be half in and half out of our society and its rules which are there to protect people from abuse. The Catholic church has claimed this right for years but has patently not lived up to its side of the bargain to root out the evil of sexual abuse within its clergy. Time to address this issue as a wider society and demand transparency from all churches and only then can we start to heal the deep wounds in society from years and years of ongoing abuse that has permeated far and wide with this behaviour increasingly being reflected in other areas of society to the detriment of all.
It will be deeply healing for so many if members within the Church called for honesty, transparency and truth. We are all responsible for the abuse if we stay silent in the knowing of wrongdoing, and of corruption in the pillars of authority that profess to have self-appointed power..
As a past catholic I have never ever felt any truth behind the confessional process and this is illustrated by the fact that the church would seek a mandatory exemption to what may be said there. We are all equally accountable for our actions, and churches, which in truth are man made, are no exception.
What a powerful article, its insightful as it comes from a deep understanding of a corrupt system that really needs to be brought to account.
Graeme, thank you so much for writing such a great piece and sharing what is truly going on. I particularly like you parting comments :It is time the Catholic Church, along with all other Christian Churches and organisations who claim to be active in addressing issues of sexual abuse, be held accountable for what they have allowed for decades to go unchecked. It really is time for some accountability. But it is up to us as the public to stand up and say what is ‘not’ acceptable. These people are getting away with what they are because we are allowing it.
This is a great article Graeme and a much needed one. “The fact that the church claims exemption from the common law suggests a gross misuse of power and a gross disservice to many individuals, families and communities.” This seems unfathomable in today’s age and with sexual abuse so prevalent across the globe within the Catholic Church it is something that cannot be ignored. Abuse of children by clergy is rife and is no well kept secret…it is wonderment to me that we have stood by as a wider society and done hardly anything in tackling this problem, or attempt to change the law.
Why? Why has this been allowed to happen for so long. Why have we all stood by? What is it that we are protecting by staying silent? I have a feeling about it…if the true depth of these atrocities were exposed (we haven’t even begun to accept the scale of the devastation of young children in Africa and South America) then it is very possible that the Catholic Church in its entirety would no longer be able to exist. Writing this sentence feels so gigantic…and then what would happen to other religions…what would happen to the whole house of cards…the whole illusion of organised religion…where would that leave us, where would we look…is it possible that it becomes impossible to look outside of ourselves when the view is so bleak and revolting…is it possible that we begin to consider a different way…is it possible that some would see that God in fact is in each and every single one of us, equally so and in absolute fullness..and that we do not need to visit a church, monastery or oak tree to find him, that we do not need to sing hymns or chant to connect to him, that we do not need to riddle ourselves with guilt and piousness to be seen by him, and that we do not need to blindly bow at anyone’s feet to be considered worthy of his love? Or is it too big to consider…and thus, by being bystanders, we abrogate our responsibility, and actively and willingly enable the abuse to continue.
A great and much needed article Graeme. Thank you for bringing it to us. It is beyond belief that a system such as Canon Law should have ever even been allowed to exist – so polar opposite is it to the actual word of God – but the fact that it still exists to this day and is still being used to protect literally thousands of priests, cardinals and clergy is the grossest indictment of the of mind-blowing arrogance and disregard of humanity of The Catholic Church. An organisation which has knowingly, willingly with and with absolutely zero remorse, harboured and aided the serial abusers of children. And yet we, governments and society stand by and do nothing.
Just if not more atrocious than the act of sexual abuse is the climate of suppression and false accusation and blame of victims, that prevents a woman (anyone) from speaking up about it all their lives.
Using the confessional as an ‘out’ and privacy as a justification for sanctioning abuse is no late comer to man made religion. It is clearly no different to sanctioning brutality in sport or corruption in politics.
Hear, hear Graeme, I agree with all that you have outlined so clearly here. It just goes to show that the catholic church has refused to grow with the times. In fact it exposes that this institution and other organisations that declare themselves to be above the law, have other agendas that have that are not in keeping with making it about people first and foremost other wise this abuse of power which in the case of the catholic church has gone on for 2000 years, would not be allowed to continue. I was touched deeply by your the account of dying woman’s struggle with releasing the hurt and tension she had held so long. I have seen first hand the havoc sexual abuse causes when it is held as a secret.
It seems to go against common sense that we would allow the catholic church such special dispensation from the laws that the rest of society must apply to. Then again, we have enabled the Catholic Church to create its own state, and become part of the United Nations, when it meets none of the pre-requisite requirements for what constitutes a state according to international law. Yet another example of the hypocrisy granted to this organisation.
To me it seems odd that we should even need such a thing as ‘mandatory sexual abuse reporting’ because surely anyone with any integrity would naturally report sexual abuse if they become aware of it occurring – simply because they know that it is unacceptable and needs to be stopped, rather than because it is mandatory to do so. It says much that we have to have this law and for a church to then question that says even more.
The impact of any sexual abuse, especially childhood sexual abuse, is massive and affects a person across their lifespan. For any organisation to believe that they can override laws that apply to the rest of the population is simply not acceptable. It is for us all to speak out as it is a topic that many are loathe to acknowledge, let alone discuss. Thank you Graeme for putting it out on the table for us all to reflect on what is happening here for the abuse to be so systemic within institutions and for these institutions to believe that they should be beyond scrutiny.
As for the words “not subject to the law” or “above the law”. We are each born into the world equal, it is only the ideals and beliefs we develop or adopt over time that lead us to see ourselves as greater than or lesser than another.
Believing those words “not subject to the law” to be true reveals the absolute lost-ness and disconnection, from our brothers, from humanity, to which we have subscribed. Each of us are complicit in this as by saying nothing and by preferring not to see or know about it we indicate that we are in agreement. Thank you Mr Ness, for your speaking up here and revealing the depths of our irresponsibility.
Burying our heads in the sand simply gives whatever is ill and evil, permission to continue doing what it does. By doing this we are all complicit in saying yes to evil and no to love.
“I don’t know why we have this paper. We have never talked about these things, and I don’t want to talk about them now.” As long as there is this attitude of wanting to bury issues rather than bringing them into the light we will invite more of the same so thank you Graeme for raising awareness by speaking out.
It just doesn’t make sense to me how any church could consider itself above the law, somehow more superior and special than the rest of society. And why should they want to be above the law if they have nothing to hide?
Great Point Fiona. You would think that any church, in its devotion to truth and love would have no qualms whatsoever about transparency. Dealing with things ‘in-house’, behind closed doors is clearly not working.
Absolutely Grahame – there is no justification for any organisation to be able to override the laws of the land when it comes to the need for mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse. Too long this has gone on with disastrous impacts on those who have been abused as is clearly coming to light the the Australian Royal Commission Hearing that is going on at present.
The Catholic Church has gotten away with a lot of atrocities over the past two thousand years. It is time for it to have its day of reckoning. Abuse is abuse and it has to be addressed.
Well said and very true Elizabeth, the Catholic Church’s has always acted above the law and believe they are not accountable for any atrocities they have committed, they even knowingly aid and abet those that have committed sexual crimes by moving them around. Time has come for everyone to stop turning a blind eye to this abusive and arrogant behaviour by the Church, blogs such as yours Graeme are an important step to uncovering this evil.
Well said Elizabeth ‘Abuse is abuse’ regardless and it is high-time it be addressed and that those responsible are accountable.
In the confessional a man sits in judgment of all that a person shares and delivers ‘forgiveness and homework’ in order to pardon the wrongdoings of a person – reflecting on the acceptance by parishioners and the acceptance of the judgment is sinister. The Beliefs of the Catholic Church and any other institution that claim they are exempt from the law and exempt from the Divine Law of truth, Love, energetic integrity and energetic responsibility in all relationships need to be changed. Thank you Graeme for sharing.
Graeme great exposure of what the church has been trying to hide for decades- sexual abuse. People in position of power and reverence do need to be made accountable for their behaviour. The victims of sexual abuse also need to be supported to be able to voice the truth without retribution.
It seems very important that we support a culture of safe and honest expression, so that those who can see what is happening have the authority and the space to talk about it. However we still have a long way to go and there needs to be the ground work put in now for those who have the willingness to speak up.
It just does not add up that an organisation that is supposed to provide a moral and spiritual compass for its community is behaving in a way that has little or no compassion and still not accepting responsibility.
It seems there is no end to the abuse that has taken place within the catholic church, thankfully some of these cases are now coming to light to be exposed for what they are but there still remains many stories that are hidden and covered up.
Hopefully the Royal Commission, being held presently in Australia, will call the Catholic Church (and other denominations) to account; as Elizabeth says nobody is above the law. Finally evil energy will be exposed.
No one is above the law. The fact that the church thinks it is shows how divorced from people and society it actually is. An institution that is divorced from the people it is meant to serve is an institution that is no longer required.
“It is time the Catholic Church, along with all other Christian Churches and organisations who claim to be active in addressing issues of sexual abuse, be held accountable for what they have allowed for decades to go unchecked. The confessional, and any equivalent in any other church or organisation, must be subject to mandatory reporting”. This of course is what ought to have happened a long time ago.
To deny or try to cut out any part of reality, is to me, to cease to know truth and what I would call God. Does this not explain why so many religions we have seen may be started from true wisdom originally, but be bastardised and corrupted into a series of false dictations? Denial does not work, it just makes things worse and cuts away our link to the truth. Thank you Graham for stating so clearly your experience of the church.
If the Catholic church sees itself as exempt from national laws, then how is this any different to say a dictator who overthrows a political party to replace it with his own? And how is this any different to a cyber abuser who stalks and torments innocent people? So maybe the way that the Catholic church sees itself is wrong and needs to be addressed, but equally then we also need to address ways of thinking throughout our global societies that fosters and enables all forms of abuse towards one another.
‘To claim that a person who has been ‘ordained’ to ministry/priesthood is exempt from obedience to the law of the land, and for the church to deal with him/her separately, is completely at odds with the common law in relation to sexual abuse and is, I believe, a complete failure to take seriously the vows made at the time of ordination.’ Beautifully said Graeme. What you share totally exposes and shines the light on the darkness of corruption and how its hypocrisy only further violates those that have been abused. We are all accountable for our choices and behaviours no matter who we think we are.
How many people have taken their last breaths without letting go of the shame, hurts and tension of sexual abuse that both the abuser and the abused feel. It is essential that we all commit to breaking this harmful cycle of abuse for all and eradicating it from our lives.
Whilst rereading your blog Graeme I felt a deep outrage and sense of shame at the attitude and behaviour of the Hierarchy and personal of the Catholic Church; the sense of betrayal is palpable.
It’s excruciatingly sad to know that ‘shame’ can run so deep in one’s body that the torment of it can go unspoken of for decades, the hurt of it so intensely placed upon the victim’s shoulders that the pain of it cannot be addressed until the body is preparing to leave this earth.
Absolute true shelleyjones the shame and hurt suffered by people experiencing sexual abuse is often held deep in the body for lifetimes causing illness and disease. As a society we tend to let go of all other abuse but hold onto sexual abuse because of humanities un willingness to speak openly about it.
Pedophile rings are known to have existed everywhere, within communities, schools, the legal system, community organisations, pretty much every where people have access to children. No organisation should be above the law, and the Catholic Church cannot use the confessional as an excuse to hide sexual abuse or any other criminal matter.
Thank you Graeme for this expose of the behaviour which has gone on in come churches for many, many years now. I suppose what comes across is how long the churches have got away with sexual abuse and the fact that they now seem untouchable and with that they have gone on strength to strength believing themselves above the law. This I feel is what angers people the most, that there is such an arrogance and that they act this out and flaunt it, and believe themselves as being untouchable – is it any wonder the victims do not want to come forward.
This is the great separation of the churches. That they consider themselves separate from mankind and subject to separate laws just shows their contempt for the rest of us.
It is time to be accountable in all walks of life, no one is exempt nor should they be!.
In the heart of all people, we know the truth and it is time to clear away all the ‘grey’ areas that allow any level of abuse to be denied. No-one is exempt from the truth known and felt in their own heart. Time for us all to speak up.
very true ch1956 “In the heart of all people, we know the truth and it is time to clear away all the ‘grey’ areas that allow any level of abuse to be denied. No-one is exempt from the truth known and felt in their own heart. Time for us all to speak up.”
I’ve very little experience on this topic, but to read this makes me really ponder of severe mental and behavioural damage that sexual abuse must have on anyone, at any age regardless of the context: “The common approach by sexual abusers is to blame their victims for the abuse, telling them that if they talk either no one will believe them, or ‘if’ they do, that others will believe the abuse is the victim’s fault or that they ‘asked for it’.” How can we not talk about this and want to flush this out of the system of these religious organisations forever?
Well said Graham. There can be no space where sexual abuse can be accepted, covered up or apologised for. Everyone is equally accountable. What I have found so hard to hear about the Royal Commission into Institutional Sexual Abuse is the flagrant disregard to the duty of care and love they should have been offering these vulnexrable children. As one human to another it should be normal to want to have respect, care and love, but if that is too big a stretch then the job they have signed up for called for that to be part and parcel of their paid work. For the church members and employees – I cannot fathom the hypocrisy.
“To claim that a person who has been ‘ordained’ to ministry/priesthood is exempt from obedience to the law of the land, and for the church to deal with him/her separately, is completely at odds with the common law” hear hear!! That is so unbelievably true. Yet we have had for decades, silencing of abuse that has been going on. It is not right and never will be.
Wow, this is my second time that I read this blog, and I am really shocked, I think I did not read it right the first time, as I am not really catching myself with my mouth open.. This is really worse, I wasnt even aware of this (or wanted to be aware of it, as it is horrific). I am so glad that people are going to start writting about this, how this is far away from acceptabel. I have to be honest and say, that by not being aware of this fact, I actually have not stepped up to say: NO, this is NOT OK – and SHOULD STOP IMMEDIATELY. Church is no different than any other insitution, business, building, concept or society. And by thinking it is not part of society,law and having to sustain rules, it is avoiding its responsibility!
“If the confessional is used as an excuse by the Catholic Church for not dealing with instances of sexual abuse, then it is clearly not appropriate for the confessional to be exempt from mandatory reporting”- I totally agree with you. Sexual violation of any kind is such a horrid act. The victims are deeply scarred by this throughout their life, as you have clearly highlighted in your blog.
There needs to be a law put in place to protect them.
There is so much betrayal of individuals, families and the wider church family when the very people who should be most trustworthy and have the most power in a relationship, sexually abuse children and others in their care. To then have the leaders of the church compound that abuse by, in many instances, covering it up, thereby allowing it, is the most appalling and devastating situation. They have severely damaged lives and the time has come for them to make their penance. If this means changing the laws around a sacrament they hold sacred then so be it. Priests can only hold themselves accountable if it has come to this. These churches are in crisis and cannot hold to old traditions when these traditions have been used to cover such evil. If they truly think they are a living faith then these traditions can be changed.
I don’t understand why families generation after generation raise their own children within the organisation that abused them. is that not saying to these churches what you did to me was ok now I present you with my children for the same treatment.
‘If the churches and those holding position of power in these organisation expect to be protected by the law, then they must also remain subject to the same law’. Awesome point Graeme. The church has been misusing and abusing their power at humanity’s expense but this is because we have allowed it. Both these issues need addressing but the latter must be addressed first before any true change can occur.
There seem stop be an unshakeable belief in rule by “divine” right that the churches are clinging to. They are like a rock in the flowing river of humanity. All has moved past and beyond them as they cling to a mediaeval concept of control, born back in the day that they were the first estate and demanded that Kings and Queens should bow before them. No one is above the law, neither King nor Queen nor leader of any nation or religious denomination – nor should anyone presume that they are above the law, nor should they aspire to be.
Such an attitude wreaks of arrogance and detachment from people and social responsibility. No wonder our society has chosen secularity, with such an example of irresponsibility and unaccountability as has been set by the church. Sadly our secularity has left us void of meaning (more on this to said in another format).
When will this church wake up? And when will we call time on the atrocities? How many people need to share they experiences of abuse before we all take voice and call for this to stop….whether we are church members or not?
Yes – Thank you Rachel and Graeme! Literally – WHERE ARE WE?! When Sexual Abuse is rife all over the world – disgusting, inhumane, and out of control. Where are we that even our families would sexually abuse it’s members? Before these people perform these acts they should consider what it would be like in the victim’s shoes. “If the churches and those holding position of power in these organisation expect to be protected by the law, then they must also remain subject to the same law.” YES. And “The confessional, and any equivalent in any other church or organisation, must be subject to mandatory reporting.” It has been an eye-opening read which makes me realise more of the devastation the world is in. All the more willingness to take action then. As the levels of silence to this abuse is deafening and crippling – when people don’t even feel safe enough to seek support when it happens…and in your example – if that older person had of expressed it earlier on in life, the necessary processing and release would have taken place. This expose is so very needed, for people to feel supported to express, expose and seek support.
Because of everything that you have written, because of everything that organised religion is and because the untold suffering and destruction and agony that it has caused so many millions…the true damage is that, in reaction, people turn away from God entirely.
This is so true ottobathurst. I experienced this disillusion with the Catholic church as even after 25 years of belonging I never felt that I belonged or that there was truth in what was preached to us. I knew and felt that God was real but not as the church portrayed. It wasn’t until I heard Serge Benhayon speak about God that I felt the confirmation of what I had known inside of me all along.
I have the same experience Anne, grown up in a catholic family and I went through all the rituals to become an official member of it in my childhood. At school I loved the stories that were told about God and Jesus as I felt a truth in that God and Jesus were real, but compared to how the church was acting that was completely the opposite to what I knew inside and because of the authority the church brings over its members, I started to doubt my inner knowing finally resulting in having issues with religion and with God. And now with the help of the presentations and workshops of Serge Benhayon I am reconfirming what I already knew and that is that God is real and that I am a religious man that does not need any religious institution to be so.
Welcome home Nico. Glorious that you have had the courage and self-love to rediscover what you always knew to be true. A question that I then ask myself – how many millions like Nico are there out there, who know deep within themselves the truth of God yet have been dragged down a different path by the Catholic church and are now lost – so close, yet so very far from what they crave. Even worse, how many have had any possibility of a true relationship with God utterly smashed to smithereens by the rampantly prevalent abuse that has happened under the dark cloak of the Catholic Church? The numbers may never be known – but they far, far outstrip anything that has been or will be reported – it is, and will continue to be, one of the darkest and most evil secrets of our history.
…..and so what does this mean for the person confessing that they have abused? for the person who confesses that they have been abusing? and the person receiving this information and choosing to not stop the wrong doing? Should a person enter the confessional to ‘confess their sins’ and this confession include sexual abuse of another, by not reporting we are saying that it is ok for tis to happen and to continue happening. For the person confessing being abused – are we not saying it is their fault that they have attracted the abuse and for the minister receiving this confession in either case and not reporting it – does that say that it is ok to abuse, that yes the person/child invited the abuse? The fact that this does not have to be reported means that all involved become victims of a sinister and sickening game. In essence we are all the same, so in order to release the layers that in one way or another trap us – does it not come back to us to over-ride anything that doesn’t feel right and to make the choice to act, to take responsibility, to be accountable regardless of what ‘man made law’ dictates? Thank you Graeme for this blog. I too agree – ‘The confessional, and any equivalent in any other church or organisation, must be subject to mandatory reporting’.
It would seem that the Confessional is definitely failing its members who need the church support in instances of any sort of abuse or crime, but that it assists the various churches to keep the reputation of the congregation and priests, etc, clean as a whistle.
Graeme what you have share here is very powerful. If I alone, personally know 4 people who have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of the church, I wonder just how many others have also – who may not have been able to come forward or speak up. Accountability for these heinous acts have to be brought to the forefront sooner rather than later by the church, and their leaders made accountable for the terrible rapes that occurred.
Lives ruined, shattered in fact. That is what we need to see. The rape is horrific enough….but as Graeme related that person is tormented until they find the means to heal. Yet the church treat the perpetrators like naughty like boys, caught with their filthy hands in cookie jar. Ignorance.
Watching them attempt to squirm out of their legal obligations has been another obscenity, piled on top of the already obscene crime.
The men and women of the church shall look back on these years in horror….once they choose to grow up and out of this extended adolescence.
You are so right – we need to see it. But that only requires us opening our eyes. For it is all there, to be seen. The issue lies more in whether we are prepared to see it, because of what it reflects about our own responsibility. And, in relation to the child abuse by the Catholic Church, we are only just beginning to see the tip of the iceberg.
Absolutely Donna. I imagine there are many people who take their secret, with the pain and hurts after suffering sexual abuse at the hands of the church, with them to the grave and the perpetrators must be held accountable.
It is these types of conversations that we need to be having because as a society we have allowed this set-up and the self-serving power of the church and their internal structure to ruin the lives of so many children through sexual abuse. It is an absolute disgrace that these institutions believe that they are somehow exempt and separate from the law and that they have some superior and internal way of dealing with such crimes that in any way justify a man to avoid responsibility for his disgraceful behaviour.
What you share is so true Sara. That any church or group can wield their own laws that breach the common decency of our true laws is an appalling reflection on our society and shadows us all as a whole.
Sara, I totally agree with you. The catholic church needs to accept responsibility for the sexual crimes that have happened instead of turning a blind eye to it. This is disgraceful and appalling behaviour which they should be made accountable for in court. The priests are in a position of power and are abusing the system. So many children have had their lives deeply affected by these sexual assaults on them.
I was really struck by the story you shared Graeme that someone holds a secret like that all their lives is so sad. That in 2015 and in all religions, not one exempt, is abuse of power and often abuse of children. I find it hard to understand why people attend these religions when they have these shadows, we are under a deep spell of illusion that compartmentalises life taking out the good bits and making them more and hiding the bad bits. Until we all start to live open, honest lives little will change, we accept these gross misuses of power because they reflect our own misuse of power in our own lives in our own families, the churches, synagogues, mosques, simply reflect what we allow. That God has been used in this way makes me deeply deeply sad.
This is such a ginormous topic – a huge global issue. But this time, the second time, that I have read this blog, one line jumped out at me – a micro example of the big picture. “A few years later I spent two hours with a lady in her 70’s – she was in hospital and was dying. The lady was very agitated and moving restlessly….After some time she told me she had been sexually abused by her stepfather when she was 11 and I was the first one she had told about it”. So, 59 years ago this woman was sexually abused. Yet still her body was ‘agitated and restless’. She had been carrying this horrendous abuse in her body for all these years and it was still directly affecting her body. Quite aside from the huge emotional trauma this abuse would have caused her, I find it fascinating that her body is still re-acting from the abuse. Proof, that the body never lies.
Secrecy and Sexual Abuse: Is the Confessional failing the Church and its Members?
No person or organisation should be exempt from the law when I comes to sexual abuse in particular an organisation children are taught to respect. There is a gross misuse of power here. I don’t understand when people who have been abused in this system choose to raise their own children in the same system that abused them.
This informative blog is timely Graeme and much appreciated. There has been so much abuse (sexual abuse and other) just swept under the table and I am pleased to see that at last the Churches involved are being made accountable at last.
Thank-you Graeme, it is hard to believe that the human race still allows this to go on, that Catholics themselves don’t stand up in the aisles and demand that their religion take full responsibility and be answerable to the atrocities taken place “under their own roof”. How can anyone attend a religious ceremony or be part of a religious institution knowing that within the ranks of the so called leaders of that religion there is great harm being perpetrated? It brings a whole new meaning to “blind faith”!
It is long overdue that the Catholic Church be made accountable for all the cases of sexual abuse it has allowed under its roof.
For there to be different laws for such an organisation makes no sense to me. Just because they live a certain way based on a belief system should not entitle them to avoid being called to account. Abuse is abuse no matter where it happens, and to keep it swept under the carpet is an even higher form of the abuse itself. Responsibility and accountability should be re-introduced for what they truly are, and lived to this level in any organisation.
Another powerful expose on the disturbing trend of covering up incidences of sexual abuse in the Church Graeme. Thank you for exposing the corruption. Responsibility and accountability for our actions is not subjective to position or status. Abuse is abuse and it is an invasive and offensive was to treat another person or child. And regardless of position or status the harm felt from sexual abuse is the same. To not respond to a victims call and stance for exposing the truth and sweeping the incident under the carpet is abusive in itself, an abuse of the position that they hold and a contradiction of the godliness’ that they supposedly stand for. Thank you again for speaking out and standing up for the truth.
So many generations have been abused by priests yet they grow up and many continue to involve their own children in the same institution. I don’t quiet understand that.
Just how shocked are the people at the head of the Catholic Church regarding matters of child sexual abuse? Could it be that the type of work that is involved with the priesthood attracts sexual predators? And if so, how do we know if the hierarchy of that same institution are not themselves entirely clear of guilt? To cover up what is a basic human rights issue implies that the public image of the institution itself is given more weight than the people it claims to care for. Well, that image has now been truly shattered, the rot is exposed, so let’s have more truth, more exposure, and proper legal proceedings so that the perpetrators of this kind of abuse are brought to justice.
The recent and ongoing Royal Commission into sexual abuse in institutions has uncovered horrendous acts occurring over many decades. Exposing the evil acts for all to see is an important step, but reflecting on why it happened and was allowed to happen, is essential for true healing to take place.
People forget, or perhaps, most never knew of the origins of many of the large religions. I’m certainly no authority on it. But, if we take a look at how the rise and increase in power of mainstream religions such as those discussed in this blog, it’s no wonder authoritative figures within them are arrogant enough to want to avoid, or try to be above the law – for these institutions grew aggressively and with absolute disregard for the harmony and rights of the communities they forced themselves upon to begin with.
Little actions occurs beside the promises of ‘not doing it anymore’. Accountability should be the word of choice and everyone should be trailed equally not matter person, age, race or the robe they may wear.
An exposing and well needed piece of writing here Graeme. Abuse and corruption avoidance is not exclusive to certain sets of people, let alone the Catholic Church, only because of the simple fact that as human beings, we are universally the same, in truth of equal standing and therefore by this virtue, subject to the same laws – on every level. To think and thus act as if this is the not case shows complete ignorance and through arrogance opens the door to evil when instead there should be by right, love.
A powerful piece that highlights the fact regardless of faith or stature within the community we all are accountable for the actions we choose to make. In this case the fact that the Catholic church continues to hold itself above the law is slowly being eroded. I agree with Graeme in the fact this cannot continue to be the case and we as a society must call it out for what it is, a gross miscarriage of justice. Sexual abuse is a crime no matter who commits it!
There are few articles written about sexual abuse by clergy and I agree Graeme Ness it is swept under the carpet with the church and those in authority thinking they are above and beyond the law. This is not true and cannot be allowed to continue, it is well overdue that all are treated equally in relation to taking responsibility for their own actions and the legal ramifications of those actions. Powerful blog.
Thank you Graeme Ness to stand up and say no to this atrocious behaviour or the church. That the Catholic church is holding on to the medieval way of interpreting the laws says already enough. They are not of this time but are stuck in the old.
Indeed Greame a gross misuse of power. The Catholic church has much to answer for and its continuous resistance is appalling. Let us keep calling it out; as you have Graeme, thank you.
And there is so, so, so much more to be exposed. What we know is just the tip of the iceberg. Eventually, when more is exposed the pillars of the catholic church will come tumbling down….and all organised religion – as we return to our true religion, a true and equal relationship with ourselves as equal sons of God.
You are bringing much more than meets the eye with this powerful article. A darkness that dwells in these places and has been hidden for too long, this blog is another part of lifting the vale and shining the light. When intuitions create shame guilt and secrets as a part of daily practice, then abuse and misconducts seem to proceed as part and parcel.
Thank you for your brave and strong writing contribution, we need more solid hard hitting articles on the internet like yours.
Thanks for the authority that you bring to this subject Graeme. It high time that the Church abides by the same laws as the rest of society. Why should there be exemptions made and all in the name of God. Sexual abuse is sexual abuse and there needs to be a stop, a saying no to this. If there are different laws for the Church, we are still allowing on some level to say sexual abuse is OK.
It is just outrageous for any organisation, religious or otherwise, to consider themselves effectively outside the law. Sexual abuse is a crime and any perpetrator should brought to justice, no matter what ‘cloth’ they try to hide behind.
That is exactly it Jo. The middle ages are but a bygone era, so everybody should be equal before the law.
It has never been surprising that the church protects its own. One needs only look back at the crusades, that was a church mandated, believe the way we want or parish. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely… if the shoe fits!
Thank you Graeme ,for your blog on such an important topic .The way the churches have operated outside the law ,truly shows how they were not in truth working for the brotherhood of all. The power struggles for property ,wealth and politics combined with medieval type law where the church has been above the law has proven what really lies beneath these organisations . Thank God that we are all waking up to expose such damaging falsity , a crime is a crime and to be held accountable by the law.
Why is sexual abuse rife in the Catholic Church?
And when we choose to belong to such an institution then what is the message we are giving?
Who is protecting who?
I agree with what jenny said earlier. “The fact any institution can set up constructs that allow child sex abuse to go unreported and therefore those involved unaccounted for, is very exposing of the self-serving nature of the institution.” Adding further to that are the deliberate attempts to cover up and make it go away.
I couldn’t agree more Graeme. It baffles me as to how the very institutions that are supposedly representing God are shielding men who are behaving in a way that is the complete opposite to what God is. It just doesn’t make any sense at all…God is love, and sexual abuse by anyone is not love.
Graham there is no doubt that the churches have utterly failed to address this issue of sexual abuse, and changes need to happen from the top down.
So much emphasis is placed on not ruining the organizations “good name” the truth never comes out to the great detriment of all those involved. There are many at the top with their “the head in the sand” but also people who are close to the incident may be in denial too. If people were to talk freely and constructively about the truth of these issues the churches will not be able to hide so effectively, and the abuse will not be allowed to continue. It is important we bring up our children in a culture where they feel free to speak their truth.
Such a power line – “The fact that the church claims exemption from the common law suggests a gross misuse of power and a gross disservice to many individuals, families and communities.” – How can a representative of god be above common decency.
I totally agree with you Joel. We need to say No to sexual abuse and the priests need to be made responsible for their disgraceful actions, not kept silent or hidden.
Thank you Graeme, well said. If the church is as clean and innocent as it claims itself to be why would it want to not be subject to the law I am wondering.
Exactly Lieke. The Church considers itself to be above accountability, that by ‘representing’ God, it is immune to corruption and abuse. This gives it the workings of an organisation that will do what it pleases then cover up any wrongdoing.
Well said Lieke, so simple.
Great article Graham, thank you for writing it. The more this subject is brought out in the open, the less these people can get away with it, not that they ever do, confessional or no confessional, they can’t change the fact of what has been done.
It is shocking and very disappointing to know that catholic priests have been committing sexual abuse/acts and not being condoned for it by their own cardinals/bishops, and in local courts. The victims are the ones who suffer silently.
Instead they are sent to a different parish, and the incident is kept hidden.
Parishionesr look up at priests as a representative of God. Priests have taken vows of abstinence. To break their own vows and not be reprimanded is irresponsible and wrong.
This is a huge subject and definitely one that needs more airing. It is horrendous what acts of abuse have been performed within religious institutions that have gone under the carpet, never to be spoken of for fear or recrimination. The confessional in the catholic church should definitely be subject to mandatory reporting. Something I admit I had never thought about. For any organistion to consider themselves above the law, and especially regarding the implications of moral misconduct, is arrogant and extremely harmful.
Thank you Graeme, this is a very important subject that should not ever be swept under the carpet. Every human being deep down knows that sexual abuse is unacceptable and a massive violation of another. For the Catholic Church to consider itself above the law in this regard, or for any other matter, exposes this corruption it is choosing to sit in.
Well said Katerina. It feels arrogant and separatist for the Catholic Church, or any religion to see themselves as better than or exempt from common laws. That in itself exposes that there is corruption at play…if there was nothing to hide or protect then they wouldn’t need to be concerned about being investigated.
I find it incredible that sexual abusers in churches who claim to be protected by law and not answerable to law, use this ‘law’ argument as a justification for doing what any decent person would know is wrong, law or no law. And how can behaviour that has rightly been deemed totally unacceptable, abhorrent, immoral and thus is against the law for the public, somehow magically be OK for a church official? And ESPECIALLY a church official, who is supposed to represent God on earth?! We do indeed need to break down this protection of evil in any form and bring every single person on the planet to equal account for their behaviour.
Hear Hear Dianne. Precise summary shining a great big torch of simple sense and decency on the extent of the corruption that attempts to justify the unjustifiable and escape the inescapable.
“We do indeed need to break down this protection of evil in any form and bring every single person on the planet to equal account for their behaviour.”
This situation of the church being above the law and the common man just does not make any sense. How can they have been getting away with this for so long? Why should an organisation that claims to be connected to God before all others be protected from reporting abuse against their own congregations? No wonder people find it difficult to relate to God and religion when they see this hyprocisy going on in a so called house of God.
The churches have been allowed to be a law unto themselves for far too long. It is high time that such ludicrous medieval concepts be banished and the offending churches brought to account. Thank you for speaking out with the great authority that you bring Graeme.
Thank you Graeme for standing up and speaking about the rot that is hidden behind the walls of many churches. Sexual abuse of any kind is disturbing but when it is perpetrated by a person of trust it is all the more damaging. I for one am glad of the inquests into this abhorrent behaviour, for an institution to very well know that one of their leaders is sexually abusing children and then simply move this person to another church is beyond belief and all involved in this cover up should be dealt with accordingly.
It’s a joke for a group to think that they are exempt from these requirements, especially after everything that went on. It sickens me to feel how much corruption, abuse and lies are going on within an organised body yet no one is really doing anything about it. What has happend in recent times in relation to sexual abuse and the church is a testimony to that. It’s almost like no one has said that it’s not okay and they are getting off scott free as they aren’t put through the same system as another offender. Just because they are in a group does not mean they have special privileges.
Graeme I found that when I was reading your article that what you were saying felt so common sensical that I could hardly even imagine that we allow the Church to get away with what it does. Society needs to be built on integrity and no one should be exempt !
Thanks Graeme for this poignant article if we are a society or humanity where truth and laws abide there should be no reason that a religion like the catholic church can be exempt to the laws that the rest of society and country abide by. It has been a total cover up and misuse and manipulation of power and corruption by the catholic church in hiding and manipulating the truth.
It is a bit like the Phillip Morris and other tobacco giants story , to lie , and delay time ,whilst in court and litigation in western developed countries whilst they amp up sales and production in the less developed countries where corruption and awareness are less.
Delay is the game they are playing , thank God for people and governments that speak up for the truth and expose this level of disgusting and very harming issue of sexual abuse and paedophilia that has been hidden by and within the church.
It is quite revealing here, that the church has misinterpreted and reinterpreted their position in society, and hold themselves in a sense, above the society and the people it claims to serve. It is obvious that some have misinterpreted the word of god, as they think it is ok to abuse the rights of children, when everyone in society, who’s god word serves, knows it is not ok, whether they believe in this god, that god, or no god. It is therefore revealing and obvious that the church has it’s own set of beliefs that really serve their own ideal of how life needs to be for them. Rather than actually fulfilling their position in society, an equal position to all else in society, to share the words and messages from god, without reinterpretation. So that all can benefit equally.
The church is a trusted centre of so many people’s lives, it just seems like such a betrayal of this trust for sexual abuse within the organisation itself to go unchecked and for there to be actual barriers up against the need for the accountability of its members.
Thank you Graeme, you draw attention to a disgraceful duplicity within the Catholic Church. There is no place in which those who abuse children should be exempt and every human being knows this is true deep down. The fact any institution can set up constructs that allow child sex abuse to go unreported and therefore those involved unaccounted for, is very exposing of the self-serving nature of the institution.
well said Jenny Absolutely true.
Hear Hear Jenny – spot on.
Absolutely Jenny and it shows the true evil of this institution. How can they call themselves to represent God and execute, allow and cover up such criminal behavior? This in itself shows how much lies are said in the name of God. Thank you Graeme for exposing the rot and claiming accountability.
Well said Jenny…and maybe it’s time for the Catholic Church to look at why sexual abuse seems to be rife within its institution.
It sure is Jenny, if an institution, organisation or company of any nature has abuse on any level taking place it most definitely exposes the truth of the what they represent and the values towards another. Interesting in an institution that preches to love on another.
There are so many rules in religion about what you should and should not do it is absurd and very exposing that childhood rape and perpetrators of it are dealt with in such a dysfunctional way or not dealt with at all.
I agree, it is hypocrisy in the extreme and it is time that it was fully exposed. We all know it is going on so why all the secrecy?
Great question Sandrahenden. We do know that all those things are going on . But we have chosen to not see them and bring them to the light, up until now. I am so glad that someone who has been associated with the Church, like Graeme Ness (the writer of this piece) is stepping out of the secrecy and is not playing save – but is offering the truth. We should all take this as our leading example. And for sure all the priest should follow up the truth that this great man writes. Not the unhealthy way that is led by the current Catholic Churches in general.
Thank you for writing about this important subject. Whatever the law is and whatever the rules are EVERYONE knows that sexual abuse is evil, wrong and not ok by any measure. There can be no excuse for it whatsoever and by not speaking up against it and by allowing it to continue we as a society are condoning and participating in the abuse.
I recently saw a documentary where 6 men in their late fifties, early sixties could finally talk about the sexual abuse they suffered when they were children on a Catholic school. It indeed scarred their whole life, and they wanted the church to recognize the harm inflicted on them. It took years and years before the church did that, finally in the person of 1 priest who truly meant what he said when he apologized (after many others who could not get that out of their mouth). It is truly tragic that it took such a long time. But one thing is clear: nothing can be swept under the carpet anymore. It is time for exposing everything that is evil.
What a disgrace that a priest, who is supposed to be a representative of God can get away with sexual abuse. The very person that is used as the role model in the community and looked up to for their supposed purity and support people in their connection to God is completely abusing their position, by committing a vile act, which is damaging people’s relationships with themselves, with God and other people for lives. In my eyes that is an even bigger crime than any “ordinary” person doing the same and nobody should get away with it.
“What a disgrace that a priest, who is supposed to be a representative of God can get away with sexual abuse…” This is so true Judith, well said. I have witnessed this happening myself within the catholic church and at the time said nothing, but felt the total hypocrisy of someone being protected and hidden by the church whilst claiming himself a son of god and serving the community.
“if the churches and those holding position of power in these organisation expect to be protected by the law, then they must also remain subject to the same law.” Isn’t this actually a truth, common sense and common decency?
It is great that the institutions which condone/ support sexual abuses are now being exposed and attempts made to bring them to account and greater still that you and people like you Graeme are standing up to do so.
You wrote at the beginning about the lady who said it was never talked about in the past and she didn’t want to talk about it now. To me she represents most of humanity. Turning a blind eye as they say.
I have also been one who was aware of the abuses but didn’t want to ‘go there’ as yes, it is so ugly. I know now though that that way of thinking gives all that ugliness permission to keep on mouldering away in its arrogance and ‘cant touch me’ superiority. That is what it has relied on for centuries.
This has to change, and is changing as more people like yourself shine your bright light into those dark and shadowy recesses making the ugliness visible and accountable and thereby, bit by bit, rendering it powerless.
Thank you Graeme, the place for any type of sex, when all we are looking for is true love, should be looked into and not swept under the carpet. The way we live and treat each other is still a long way from a harmonious community. Thanks to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine a part of society is living in love and harmony against the trend.
I was a Catholic until I was in my fifties. I was a Catholic because my parents were, all my family were, it was our way of life. After I discovered how little the religion really meant to me, I began to be much more open-minded about the present-day Church and it’s past history. I was horrified by the latter and amazed at the amount of recent sexual abuse perpetrated by the clergy, but most of all by the arrogance and mendacity of the bishops, cardinals etc involved in the cover-up of this evil. All involved are guilty of destroying so many lives, of not taking steps to remedy this ill by sending these priests and brothers from parish to parish, endeavouring to keep them safe from the law. We are now hearing of the occasional clergyman coming to court and receiving a gaol sentence. However, there still does not seem to be the widespread bringing into the light of the behaviour of their superiors and their abuse of power, for which I was hoping.
I agree, sexual abuse is massively swept under the carpet but even the current level of reporting has consequences.
When I was young, some 40 years ago most people would have accepted some privilege of the confessional but today that seems quaint – if you hear about a reportable crime you need to report it and that clearly includes the confessional.
The churches abused the confessional for too long so most people lost any respect for it.
This is a very important topic and one that is not spoken of at all, I would like to see a world that does not hide anything and one that wants to see every issue that occurs and then deal with it straight away, leaving no stone unturned.
Your comment alone could be another blog, it so interesting hearing a first hand lived account experiencing a religion for your entire life and then coming out the other end, expressing as powerful and free as you are now. All I can say is I want to hear more of your story. I agree that what is going on is a disgrace but was naive about the intensity of the corruption that is still occurring.
Well said Graeme. The behaviour of the catholic church defies logic to the onlooker. For an organisation whose premise should be the development and fostering of people’s souls, this medieval thinking should be abhorrent. As you said of the individuals within the church, this shows … a complete failure to take seriously the vows made at the time of ordination.
Great article Graeme and I agree. Sexual abuse is a crime and must be addressed for what it is.
Thank you Graeme, what struck me reading this article again is the damage done to the abused, the lady who held in her body all that tension and discomfort about sexual abuse, how that must have impacted on her whole life and all the relationships that she formed. Abuse always goes deeper than the initial victim and it is a tragedy that any organisation would choose to cover this up when the only way to move forward as a race of beings is to face our problems. Burying our heads in the sand will just leave us with the same actions happening over and over again.
An excellent matter of fact blog, Graeme; I agree, there should be no ‘special treatment’ accorded the churches – those committing such crimes as sexual abuse (and indeed, any crime) should be held to account in a court of law as anyone else would be… as you have stated, if they choose to be protected by the law then they should also be subject to it… and yes, mandatory reporting should also be applied. Absolutely.
No religion should be held above the society it purports to represent. It is this type of hypocrisy that disconnects people from the very word religion, which is ironic when you consider that the original root meaning of the word “religion” comes from the latin word meaning to “re-bind or re-connect”.
Very true Graeme, you can’t have one set of rules for one group and another set of rules for another group. It just doesn’t work that way. A case like sexual abuse needs to be dealt with properly, severely and without delay.
The truth sets you free? Perhaps the catholic church along with other religions that hide the truth could take a bit more responsibility. This is not to judge what has occurred but to free those who have been so devastatingly affected by the shenanigans of the church and some of its members. The ultimate law is humanity. If we were to apply the equal sons of god rule how could we treat some differently….
Graeme I agree it is a total abuse of power. We would be up in arms if the Muslim faith decided they should be exempt from certain laws, so why are we allowing the Christian churches to get away with this? Double Standards? Who does this serve, who benefits?
Yes Graeme it is good to hear from one within in the church, I am sure there are a lot of people within the church that feel the same way as you do and it is through these people, within the organisations that real change has to come. The example Kate Burns gave about little girls not being able to wear dresses at school shows just how insane things have gotten to by not dealing with sexual abuse head on.
The confessional has always seemed a bizarre concept as I knew of many catholic friends who made up things to confess either because they didn’t have anything to confess or as a subversion in opposition to declaring something about the way they were living they knew wasn’t right but didn’t want anyone to know, even the priest in the confession box. It seems this box is just a game and doesn’t come anywhere close to the ancient religious tenets of honesty, responsibility, truth and transparency.
Thank you Graeme for helping me understand where this outdated concept of the church and the law has come from. The law has to be about protecting all of the people all of the time. The church can no longer be it’s own governing body. It is obvious it cannot handle the abuse existing within it’s own walls and it must be handed over to the law of the land.
Graeme I totally agree to what you have written about the abuse that goes on behind the closed doors. The law is the law and no one should be above it or exempted from it. It’s a wonderful feeling to know people like you Graeme are working behind the scenes and telling the world about what’s really going on.
I like your blog Graeme. How many abused children and how many lifetimes of suffering are many church leaders responsible for due to arrogant beliefs that they are above the law. It’s not only the children that have been affected by sexual abuse from Priests and Church Brothers who teach in the religious schools.
It’s also the people who abused those innocent young children indirectly teaching them that it is okay to abuse innocent young children. Just ask those abused children. There was no one they could tell their stories to, in fact it got them into more trouble if they told anyone. They had to grin and bear it. So many knew the abusers never got into trouble.
How many children did each abuser abuse in a lifetime?
And what percentage of those abused children would grow up to become child abusers? And how many of those paedophiles become Brothers or Priests or Bishops that ultimately protect the paedophiles.
This amounts to a huge vicious circle of not just hundreds of thousands, but maybe millions of paedophiles being protected byChristian church leaders around the world in the name of God.
And what I find more amazing is that despite this knowing we still believe that we need the church to make sure our moral standards don’t decline.
I completely agree Graeme. There is no one and no area of society where abuse should be allowed, tolerated or covered up. Why should a perpetrator of such abuse get to feel better by confessing what has occurred but not deal with the issue in truth and take full responsibility for what they have done by going through the legal system?
Absolutely Graeme, the level of trust that has been shattered for the recipients is enormous. For people to be claiming to live by the laws of God and breaking them to such a evil extent is heart breaking. Not only do the recipients lose trust in people they lose trust in God.
So if we are equal sons of god, should we not be all equal under the laws that govern our countries. This behaviour causes separation and shows the world that power and money gives you right, not the law. The corruption is extreme all under the shadow of doing good and being holy in the eyes of god. Well if god was looking down he/she would be horrified at what his equal sons have created.
So many peoples lives have been affected by sexual abuse from members of the church, whether that be the victim themselves or all those close to the victim from the knock on effect. It is definitely time that all these gross crimes come to light and the offenders be taken to court and prosecuted. I agree with what you are saying Graeme no single organisation or institution should be exempt from our justice system it is absurd to consider otherwise.
This indeed is a very powerful blog Graeme.
It is staggering that Churches today continue to defend perpetrators and react negatively to victims. The coverup, denial and lack of accountability is inexcusable.
The saving grace is what goes around comes around.
Thank you Graeme for this informative and inspirational expression.
I love what you express here Dean about Graeme’s comments. I can feel his dedication to exposing truth and you enlarge on this by including how ‘deep in the psyche of society is the church being above the law’. Our numbness to the horror that this illusion has caused is ALL our responsibility.
I agree Bernadette, at the end of the day we either allow things to go on in society or we turn a blind eye, there is no in between.
Well said and well written, it’s true that there needs to be the accountability for the behaviours they have used and in the past had been used. Then they may not have to live in the denial that they are not living what true Religion is.
Thank-you for this blog Graeme, delivered in the style of a true man of God, who places truth and love for humanity above all.
That there are those who hide in the absolute arrogance of thinking themselves above and exempt from common law, and decency – due to the robes they wear and their support for doctrinal practices that were never derived from a true love and concern for all – is criminal to say the very least. This is a matter that goes way beyond our current legal system, it is about responsibility for our actions in full. What you have here described are actions that are plainly harming and potentially allowing further abuse to go unattended – for which there should be no deference given, simply because a man or woman may be a minister or priest of a religious institution.
It is utterly shameful. Well done on calling it so.
A very powerful blog.
Hear,hear. Although I knew about the sexual misconducts in the Catholic Church, you give it an extra dimension. An institution, any institution or group who separates itself from the country it is in and, as the only one, does not abide with current laws related to how to live together as human beings is in itself arrogant or ignorant. It is truly unacceptable that one group can, up until today, live by their own laws and standards which go back to medieval times. It is time to wake up and realise that we live in different times where we are interdependent of each other where superiority, hiding and separation are no longer valid options, at least not in this age.
Well said Graeme. The harm that has happened across the globe because this issue has been swept under the carpet is to massive to even get my thoughts around. To truly love humanity, is to treat all as equals with honour and preciousness. How in the world does sexual abuse fit in to that model?
Thank you Graeme. You have said ‘if the churches and those holding position of power in these organisation expect to be protected by the law, then they must also remain subject to the same law.’ This to me is common sense and anything else is simply unacceptable.
No one should be above the law. ‘The confessional, and any equivalent in any other church or organisation, must be subject to mandatory reporting.’
Thank you Graeme for exposing the vile act of sexual abuse within the church and also the lack of action taken by the church
Wow…’the belief that they are not subject to the law of the country they live in’…I had no idea such arrogance existed in the churches. But what a perfect setup to allow the atrocities of sexual abuse to occur under the church umbrella. It is encouraging to know that these crimes are now being more & more exposed, and to also know that those who may think they got away with such vile behaviour, in truth do not as karma will always balance the scales…if not in this life, in the next.
This is a powerful article, it really highlights the injustice and the misuse of power by the church. We must stand up for truth and and make those accountable for their actions that have created pain and suffering to others only to hide under a cloak or a title that most people give their power away to.
Sitting in a dark little corner blurting out all the things you know you have done wrong is in no way taking responsibility for any actions where you have harmed another….It’s not a get out of jail free card and by no means should it be allowed to continue in its present form.
So true Jaime. I could never understand growing up, how the catholic church believed they were above laws and a feeling of above all others, because certain members of the church had titles that no-one questioned. Harm is harm, and no-one should be exempt from being accountable for their actions. I’m sure victims of sexual abuse don’t feel less affected or traumatized because of someone’s standing in society.
It’s such a relief to read how you point out the truth: how the catholic church is still practicing the medieval way of its own law.
There should be no group, church, organisation or like wise excluded from the law… the law is there to protect everyone equally and I see it that only those doing harm would want to be excluded…for fear that they will have to actually take responsibility for the harm they have caused.
The confessional has always been about being resolved of your sins (and therefore responsibility) through penance prescribed by the priest. This practice supports people to be irresponsible in their behaviour and to get away with many truly harmful practices against other fellow human beings. What is truly harmful in protecting those who have committed crimes, is that the victims of these crimes are further harmed by having no one held to account for what has occurred. They are sent the message they do not matter. No one should be exempt from taking responsibility for their actions and if they have committed a criminal act then they should be held accountable according to the law.
A reviling article Graeme, I didn’t realise that the Catholic Church still has its own ‘set of rules’, as far as the law is concerned.
It feels like an old and rotten system that should changed to be more accountable. That way the healing can occur for the people who have been affected by sexual abuse.
Absolutely Graeme I agree with you. The Catholic Church, even if it uses all of its wits to tell us otherwise, is not a law unto itself. It is a no-brainer that the Catholic Church, or any church, should abide by the law of the land. How they have behaved is absolutely despicable.
It is shocking that a denomination can claim they are above and beyond the law of the country they are operating in. Are we still in the Dark Ages?
Sexual abuse is a crime. It is doubly horrific if inflicted by someone who is in a place of trust such as those in religious leadership. They commit a crime against the vows they have taken, common law and their victims. I agree with you Graeme. These religious organisations should not be exempt from being made accountable for their crimes.
Very well said Graeme. Through my work I have come across so many people suffering from sexual abuse and seen the scarring and damage done that carries on often across a lifespan. I have read the book that Zoe mentioned and agree that it provides an excellent account of how the Catholic church has conducted itself in this area. No institution should be able to place themselves above the law and decide if and what they will report.
Indeed it seems ludicrous that the Christian Churches are exempt from mandatory reporting. I read an excellent book called “the case of the Pope” by QC Geoffrey Robertson calling for accountability in the Vatican for human rights abuses. The blog from Graeme is the sort of news and blogs that we need to hear. Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon present a religious way of life that is totally lovely, transparent, free from human rights abuses and completely within the laws because the moral framework and ethics far exceeds any I have come across in any religion or organization.
It is a very convenient shroud to hide behind – the cloak of religion. As many have already commented, no one is exempt from what goes on around us. It affects us all and to not be held responsible is a crime in itself.
Graeme what’s great is that as time passes the bigger the injustices we see which the Church and other organisations have got away with. These are things we have allowed by not standing up and saying No, and has meant the gross misuse of power continues even though it has been evident for hundreds of years. I know without a doubt that the genocides by the catholic church and many other practices are certainly not something that is in any way inline with “God” or Love. The same applies to the child abuse and sexual abuse that is still rife within the church – we all know this is not acceptable by any standards – yet because the word “God / Religion” is used, this has often allowed the church to get away with serious crimes in a way no other person on Earth is allowed to.
Absolutely Joseph, Universal Medicine holds full integrity and walks the talk, which is quite unique in today’s world where everybody is more concerned with justifying harming behavior than standing up for true integrity and love.
So true Rachel, I have experienced absolute integrity from Universal Medicine with real life practical ways on how I can support myself – there is no harm what so ever in what they do, say or represent. Universal Medicine is the first organisation that has true Love or ‘All’ as their focus, not like any of the others organisations – religions that I have come across that say that they represent this, but there actions say otherwise.