Beyond the numbers

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released two studies February 27, one on the number of incidents as well as the financial cost of the sexual abuse of children by members of the clergy between 1950 and 2002, the other offering an evaluation of the data and possible explanations for the scandal. The first report, conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, found that more than 10,667 children had been assaulted by 4,392 priests over the fifty-two-year period. That figure represents 4 percent of priests active during that time. The researchers cautioned that these numbers were probably low, because not all victims had come forward even now. According to the John Jay report and other news accounts, the church nationwide has spent close to three-quarters of a billion dollars on legal settlements, lawyers' fees, and therapy for victims and perpetrators.

The second study, conducted by the National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People (NRB), the lay panel created by the bishops to probe "the causes and context of the crisis," is a 158-page report. Commonweal will present further analysis of it in the March 26 issue. Here are some initial comments.

First, neither report attempted to determine whether the sexual abuse of minors was more prevalent among Catholic priests than among other professional groups, such as schoolteachers, who routinely deal with children. It is impossible to make such comparisons because there are simply no good studies of other institutions. Indeed, the NRB notes that sexual abuse is "a societal problem," one the church can now help ameliorate. The data suggest that incidents of abuse have declined dramatically since many bishops took steps to protect children in the early 1990s. Whether that is in fact the case, only time will tell.

The NRB emphasized two factors to explain the pattern and pervasiveness of sexual abuse, which appears to have peaked with the ordination class of 1970, in which one out of every ten priests has been credibly accused. First, the report cited the poor screening of candidates for the priesthood in the 1960s and 1970s. "Many sexually dysfunctional and immature men were admitted into seminaries," the study says. Second, the board criticized priestly formation, especially around the discipline of celibacy. Since 81 percent of those abused were boys, the NRB concluded that the all-male environment of the priesthood presents a special challenge to homosexuals.

Neither the requirement of celibacy nor the mere presence of homosexuals can be said to have "caused" the crisis, however. Most homosexual priests serve well and remain celibate. Celibacy itself is rightly regarded as a great "gift" to the church. Still, it is clear that candidates for the priesthood who are homosexual should receive special scrutiny and training. That said, the board noted that the number of priests who have been in sexual relationships with adult women or men is far greater than the number who have abused children. Living a celibate life in a modern, hypersexualized culture is extremely difficult. All priests need more spiritual guidance and institutional support in honoring their vows.

The board's report was highly critical of the way bishops handled accusations against priests and the way victims were treated. "The members of the review board stress that we see this crisis as one of the episcopacy as much as it is a crisis of the priesthood." Many of the NRB's criticisms of clerical culture have been voiced by other groups and observers. Avoiding public scandal was too often a bishop's principal concern. In response to lawsuits, bishops turned to lawyers instead of reaching out to victims. "Many lawyers did a great disservice to the church," said Robert S. Bennett, chair of the board's research committee. Canon law, as well as the clerical subculture, extended every presumption to accused priests while victims were effectively silenced. In the treatment and rehabilitation of abusers, some bishops hid crucial information from clinicians while others placed too much trust in psychiatry and therapy. Institutionally, the absence of formal systems of cooperation and information sharing among dioceses kept bishops in the dark about the prevalence of abuse. Some bishops deliberately withheld information about abusive priests from fellow bishops. In that regard, the NRB rightly urges the bishops as a group to issue an annual report on such abuse.

Among the board's recommendations, many of which stressed transparency and accountability in church governance, several seemed especially promising. With great perspicacity, the report saw how damaging is the absence of "ongoing intellectual, spiritual, and psychological formation and monitoring of priests after ordination." Given the shortage of priests, providing such support is a daunting challenge, but it must be done. Too many priests are overworked, burned out, socially and psychologically isolated. The board also calls for "meaningful lay consultation" in the selection of bishops and for a continuing lay role in church oversight. Equally important, bishops must break the code of silence that prevents one bishop from publicly criticizing another.