Catholics need a restorative justice approach to the church’s sexual abuse crisis

Michie said:

Wounds remain. This was a chief conclusion of an independent working group on the clerical sex abuse crisis in the U.S. Catholic Church that proposed the following measures last month.

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Yup. Wounds remain.

Michie said:

—Establish a national healing garden as a permanent site of healing, prayer and accompaniment for victim-survivors of sexual abuse by members of the clergy and for the broader church.

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Meh. Meh to it all.

Couldn't I just have a bishop and a priest who are straight, and would be straight with me? A bishop and a priest who aren't compromised? One who knows Jesus Christ? I don't need no stinking prayer garden.

Michie said:

Wounds remain. This was a chief conclusionof an independent working group on the clerical sex abuse crisis in the U.S. Catholic Church that proposed the following measures last month:

—Develop a national center with experts and practitioners to equip the broader church with practices of restorative justice that would accompany those who have been directly and peripherally harmed by abuse, particularly forums in which victim-survivors tell their stories and receive love, recognition and empathy.


—Establish a national healing garden as a permanent site of healing, prayer and accompaniment for victim-survivors of sexual abuse by members of the clergy and for the broader church.

—Institute an annual day of prayer and penance for healing and reconciliation for victim-survivors of clergy abuse and for broader healing in the church.

—Create trauma-informed training for clergy, seminarians, lay ministers, lay leaders and parish communities to communicate the realities and effects of trauma in order to compassionately accompany victim-survivors.

Continued below.

Catholics need a restorative justice approach to the church’s sexual abuse crisis

Nation-states have modeled a holistic approach that involves all who were affected by injustice and may contribute to a solution. The church can do the same as a response to the clerical sex abuse crisis.

www.americamagazine.org

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The damage done is something only the Lord can and He definitely can heal.
Which I implore all to pray for these folks.
Annual is not enough. IMHO.

Michie, you're organized. Make an intention thread for us and keep it up each day for prayer.
We've got quite a list that could be printed out and remembered to offer at Mass as well.

Michie said:

Make a list WA and others can too. I’ll put it up if you want but it’s your idea. Maybe you should start it and we can add on? Either way is fine by me.

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But you could add daily and have a good head for remembering to keep up on things.
I'm 'scattered' with working all the hours I work. Even though the last few days been busy working on Christmas and not working as much.

Michie said:

Wounds remain. This was a chief conclusionof an independent working group on the clerical sex abuse crisis in the U.S. Catholic Church that proposed the following measures last month:

—Develop a national center with experts and practitioners to equip the broader church with practices of restorative justice that would accompany those who have been directly and peripherally harmed by abuse, particularly forums in which victim-survivors tell their stories and receive love, recognition and empathy.


—Establish a national healing garden as a permanent site of healing, prayer and accompaniment for victim-survivors of sexual abuse by members of the clergy and for the broader church.

—Institute an annual day of prayer and penance for healing and reconciliation for victim-survivors of clergy abuse and for broader healing in the church.

—Create trauma-informed training for clergy, seminarians, lay ministers, lay leaders and parish communities to communicate the realities and effects of trauma in order to compassionately accompany victim-survivors.

Continued below.

Catholics need a restorative justice approach to the church’s sexual abuse crisis

Nation-states have modeled a holistic approach that involves all who were affected by injustice and may contribute to a solution. The church can do the same as a response to the clerical sex abuse crisis.

www.americamagazine.org

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This is the dumbest .... period. Seriously? You know what would help with healing? Not money, but rather seeing your predator(s) go to jail. You know what this doesn't address? All the abuse that is much more prevalent in the rest of society. Do you see anyone demanding the secretary of education to do any of these stupid ideas? There is a lot more abuse in our public schools than in any Church or religious community.

Yeshua HaDerekh said:

Then why are there so many child abusive, homosexual and pedophilic priests in the RCC? Has there been a comparison between the RCC and eastern rite that allow marriage?? What draws these type men into the RCC? Any comparisons between RCC vs eastern rite vs EO?

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The way the media reports on this you would think that the Catholic Church is the only group with this issue right? Do your research, and you find out that actually among priests it is lower than the National average. And predators can be found in every single religious body, even among married clergy and ministers.

But in public schools? All the stuff people are upset with the Church doing, and they have stopped by the way, the public schools are still doing with their employees accused of abuse.

Yeshua HaDerekh said:

well that was why I asked the question.

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All you have to do is a little research. The reason why it seems like it is much worse in the Catholic Church is because A) We are the largest religious group in the world, so statistically you have that. 2) National media are so ignorant of religious things, that for them there is only two Christian religions: Catholics and the Evangelical Right. 3) Now as this has been brought to light the Catholic Church actually posts abuse accusations to the public, in light of being transparent. 4) To the national media the Catholic Church is the big evil organization, keeping the world from becoming fully enlightened.

Any the truth is, statistically of what little statistics are keep, Catholics and especially priests are at or below the National average for abuse cases. But you wouldn’t know that due to the media attention this gets.

But that being said all abuse should be dealt with, with a heavy hand. Any man or woman that sexually abuses children needs to at the very least be persecuted with maximum jail time. Also, anyone who covers up for child molester should be persecuted and sent to jail as well. Don’t care who it is.

Church money should not be involved in this, because when it comes to a religious body, we are talking about the donations of it congregation. So Church money should not be part of the restitution. Now if the penal system wants to fine the priest or bishop himself if he was part of the coverup then have at it. But the Church itself no.