Justin Welby has resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury after facing increasing pressure to stand down over his failure to report prolific child abuser John Smyth
One of the many people who had called for his resignation was Revd Dr Ian Paul who said in an interview about the former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby:
"At a local level, churches are working their socks off to make sure that safeguarding is a priority, the church is a safe place. If you come to my church, you can find immediately on the board who the safeguarding officer is, there is a phone number in the toilets. We are doing, working really hard [..] for clergy to [...hear...] about the problems in senior leadership and the failing [...] of pastoral and personal responsibility, moral responsibility by the archbishop, then that undermines their work, and that's what creates this loss of confidence and loss of trust"
The Church of England failed to stop most prolific abuser, exclusive report finds.
Click on the picture to watch the video.
The following letter by an Australian priest refers to an article in La Croix International and is published with permission:
Dear Friends,
The above article was sent across the world last Monday via the respected and widely-recognised Catholic electronic newsletter “La Croix International”.
Over the past few years in sending out this email each week, only rarely have I drawn attention to the issue and scandal that has been and still is tearing the heart out of the Catholic Church in so many places across the globe - very much including Australia.
Yes, I know it's my “hobby horse”, and has been for many years. If only that was not necessary. But it is tragic to see Parliamentary Enquiries, Royal Commissions and indeed internal Church Enquiries come and go, with apologies proffered, improvements promised, and “safeguarding” highlighted.
Yet still the need for justice and care for those who were not safe and whose lives were destroyed beyond repair, often along with their families, is still, for the most part, being ignored, hidden, camouflaged or denied.
I found it especially sad to read the above article from our New Zealand neighbours, an article I found to be measured, reasonable yet tragically sad.
I thought of one abuse victim from New Zealand whom I know personally and who being assisted for counselling through “Lifeboat”. He approached the Religious Order responsible for his abuse as a 10-year-old in an orphanage. His cry for help was denied - because he could not substantiate his testimony. Why? Because he was unable to describe to church “authorities” the pictures on the walls of the room in which he was abused fifty years ago!
There is no question that unless and until this issue is confronted honestly and the needs of victims met effectively the damage to the Faith itself and therefore the whole Church will continue - as it has for so many decades.
I accept it is the height of arrogance to quote oneself! But I hope you will allow this one exception as I reproduce a couple of paragraphs that I wrote nearly thirty years ago while I was at Mitcham - prior to the introduction of either of the official Church abuse protocols – “Towards Healing” and “The Melbourne Response”.
“If there is to be any effective recovery from this tragic possession of proven offences, it must begin with a recognition of the suffering endured by victims and their families with every possible means being taken to redress the trauma to which they have been subjected…..Unless the victims are given top priority, all other efforts to bring credibility to the Church will be doomed to failure. Such efforts will be greeted with cynical dismissal by ordinary people who cannot comprehend how those who report to follow Jesus Christ can wreck innocent lives with such apparent abandon.
Hindsight is 20 /20 vision and many have found it easy to criticise Church authorities for the manner in which reported offences were handled in the past. Whatever the accuracy or inaccuracy of such criticisms, what happens from now on must be done with impeccable integrity and unstinting pastoral care.
Certainly, there are risks if the Church lets down its defences and concentrates more on pastoral care. But if the whole grotty issue is not met head-on, the risk to the total mission of the Church are far, far greater. Justice must be done, and must be seen to be done.”
Fr. Kevin Dillon, St. John’s Parish News, July 28, 1996.
I apologise sort of for being on this topic - yet again - but the report from New Zealand just sparked something within me to which I had to give expression. I promise I will try to be happier and more positive next week.
God bless you all.
Fr. Kevin Dillon
Catholic Theologian And National Leader Of SNAP Responds To Assertions By Catholic Bishop Of Palmerston North John Adams
As a Catholic theologian and leader of a national support group for victims and survivors of faith-based abuse well overrepresented by Catholic survivors, I take issue with assertions made by Palmerston North Catholic Bishop John Adams reported by Stuff in ‘Zero appetite’ for culture of abuse in Catholic church,” 30 July 2024. Bishop Adams “wanted to put a face to the Church’s response.” But the Abuse In Care Inquiry’s Final Report put a face to the Church’s response just last week. Therefore, the bishop’s attempt to undermine the Commission’s findings merits reproof in my view.
SNAP Aotearoa New Zealand publishes its letter to the
Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
Mega Church Pastor Steps Down
"The cycle is one that is a much bigger picture than just “moral failures” and the debate about “restoration” It is a cycle of out of control power dynamics, and manipulation. It is a cycle about belief systems in the church and the culture which set us up to support abusive people. It is a cycle about the language of manipulation and minimization, and the protection of institutions over people. And it is a cycle that is centuries old." (Bob Hamp)
Robert Morris, apparently Donald Trump's former spiritual advisor, stepped down from his leadership role in the megachurch he once founded.
His comments on the allegations of child sexual abuse are surprising and yet common for many perpetrators:
1. He admits having had a relationship with a "young lady" (she was 12!).
2. He admits having molested the survivor for "a few years" (5 years!).
3. The alleged abuse happened more than 30 years ago when he was in his 20s (as if any abuse could be made undone when it was done while the perpetrator was too young to know the consequences).
4. When confronted by the family, he apparently went into counselling and has since "walked in purity and accountability in this area". (what is this "area"? - a young girl? a non-consensual relationship? or both?)
5. He blames the survivor for having tempted him and has been bragging for turning his life around (no mention of his impact on the survivor's life).
6. The survivor has told her story many times over the years but she didn't feel that she was heard (and now it is considered "historical").
The survivor clarified that Morris didn't come forward but only reacted when he was turned in.
She sums up his behaviour with the comparison of other perpetrators: "are they sorry for being caught or are they truly repentant of what they did?"
Listen to one of the reporters here.
Troubling Vatican Investigation Into Cardinal John Dew Abuse Allegations – “There Were No Inquiries” Report Survivors
MEDIA RELEASE
8 June 2024
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) in Aotearoa New Zealand, is concerned that no inquiries were made by Vatican officials into child sexual assault allegations against Cardinal John Dew.
“This is just another case of the Church claiming it conducted an investigation,” reports SNAP Aotearoa spokesperson Donald McLeish.
Given that no details are known about the Vatican’s presumed investigation, and neither the complainants themselves nor any other key persons outside the church were ever contacted, it is questionable that any investigation actually occurred.
SNAP believes the Vatican may have simply accepted the Police’s current position and aligned its viewpoint accordingly.
SNAP holds that a major part of the evidence is the complainants' testimony and life experience, and that Church standards must supplement those of civil law enforcement.
SNAP is aware that the Police investigation remains open at this time, as it is not uncommon in cases of historical child sexual abuse that there is insufficient evidence at first to lay charges. Often more evidence comes to light over time as other victims find the courage to come forward.
SNAP is also aware of another police report in which Cardinal Dew is named as having committed psychological abuse of vulnerable people in the Catholic Church.
Contrary to earlier claims made by the Cardinal—that priests at St. Joseph’s presbytery did not go to the nearby St. Joseph’s Orphanage, SNAP members have reported seeing priests at the orphanage. There was even a priest's office at the orphanage, which is now believed to be a place where the alleged offending occurred.
SNAP is aware that the Carvell complaint involved three priests and a nun. While one priest is dead, the third priest named in the Carvell report has avoided public scrutiny. Yet he is accused of the same crimes as the Cardinal and is subject to the same safeguarding protocols. But he was not stood down by his bishop, John Adams.
According to SNAP, secrecy, silence, and concealment around church investigations into allegations of priests sexually violating children fuels the church’s coverup, leaves society questioning church leaders’ motives, and further harms the survivors. “We no longer live in a time when it is appropriate to be secretive about dealing with clergy child sexual abuse complaints,” reports SNAP in response to the Vatican’s investigation.
SNAP Aotearoa calls for more transparency, accountability, and a survivor-centred response.
As an independent network, SNAP continues to support all survivors of faith-based and institutional abuse.
END