You think you have invested enough in spiritual formation,
so you are surprised when these abuses take place.
You believe that you have done enough to further this cleric's development,
so you think they must be innocent.
You believe that the sacraments, prayer, and your further counsel will
cure the sex addiction that exists among your clergy.
Without effective archdiocese support, these beliefs will only lead to deeper pain and more abuses, and, in turn, more sin.
This is why the Archdiocese:
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Tends to side with the cleric in his denial of his sex addiction and his abuses.
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Seeks to highlight their other positive traits to veil the severity of their actions.
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Attacks the credibility and character of the victims of sex addicts.
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Budgets payouts for lawsuits and to silence victims.
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Chooses to become an agency of human trafficking by simply moving clerics to other parishes, monasteries, or roles – resulting in their ongoing abuses.
The Archdiocese needs to focus more attention on:
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Empathizing with the experience of the victims.
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Learning more about underlying causes of abuse.
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Budgeting for support pre-emptively instead of post tragedy
Too often, religious institutions do not assess the right markers to better identify higher risk clergy.
Too often, the religious institution enables the underlying loneliness that contributes to these abuses.
Too often, religious institutions are run by male clerics – while the communities they serve are a much more diverse group of human expression and charisms.
You need more effective archdiocese support for all spheres of the religious system: more clearly defined definitions of misconduct, compassionate support for victims as opposed to legal payouts, and effective rehabilitation for clergy.
The time to act is now.
Be intentional about entering into to truth, love, and repentance.
Become what you are called to be.