Archbishop In Ireland on the Pundits of the Sexual Abuse Crisis

Morning Minion at Vox Nova has remarks made by the Archbishop of Dublin. See Again, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin is a Leading Light of the Church

This part struck me

Renewal of the Church requires participation and responsible participation. I have spoken about the need for accountability regarding the scandal of sexual abuse. I am struck by the level of disassociation by people from any sense of responsibility. While people rightly question the concept of collective responsibility, this does not mean that one is not responsible for one’s personal share in the decisions of the collective structures to which one was part.

I am surprised at the manner in which Church academics and Church publicists can today calmly act as pundits on the roots of the sexual abuse scandals in the Church as if they were totally extraneous to the scandal. Where did responsibility lie for a culture of seminary institutions which produced both those who abused and those who mismanaged the abuse? Where were the pundit-publicists while a Church culture failed to recognise what was happening? We need to take a radical new look at the formation of future priests….

The narrow culture of clericalism has to be eliminated. It did not come out of nowhere and so we have to address its roots in seminary training. “

Let me add to this. I think the problem is a much more than the formation of future priests. I am very doubtful that the seminary was the cause of their abusing children. They had that in their profile before they likely showed up. Some family (where it was likely they themselves might have been abused) produced them. We have had a whole culture that has looked the other way on that.

Also from what I can tell this is not exactly just a "Catholic" problem. We see this at the same rates in other Protestant communities. Therefore this is not going to be fixed by some just dabbling with the Catholic culture in a few ways.

Lastly where is the talk of the Catholic lay abuse crisis. What is disturbing about these are the pundits and the lay folks alike seem to be setting up different standards. One for those celibates and on for the rest of us. Looking at the stats we should be hearing a lot more about CYO leaders, teachers, Catholic Mission folks, and other assorted folks that were involved in the Church and their allegations. Are they getting a pass?