Abstract
The current report aims to clarify the practices and implicit intentions of the Holy See in addressing child sexual abuse (CSA) by clerics in the twenty-first century. Church investigation reports, United Nations reports, press coverage, and academic literature were explored to understand the relationship between Church intention and practice. Various types of literature highlight the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) as an organization that is self-referential and self-defensive, with the implicit aim of protecting the reputation of RCC at the expense of children. Organizational responses are seen as promoting the protection of perpetrating clerics, resulting in the spread of CSA by clergy nationally and globally. Recommendations are made for the introduction of modern-day management practices in RCC, filtered through a faithful understanding of gospel principles. The authors suggest that the United Nations may be an important vehicle for fostering leverage for change in RCC child protection practice.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 141-153 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Journal of Child Sexual Abuse |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 28 Feb 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2018 |
Keywords
- Catholic Church
- United Nations
- children
- organization
- sex abuse
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health