A recent article from Common Dreams, “The Book of Jobs: A Banking System is Supposed to Serve Society, Not the Other Way Around,” analyzes our current national banking fiasco. It also seems to describe the institutional handling of clergy sexual abuse. ‘The diagnosis of our condition and the prescription that followed from it were incorrect. First, it was wrong to think that the bankers (read, church leaders) would mend their ways—that they would start to lend (read, support survivors), if only they were treated nicely enough… In the end, bank managers (read, church administrators) looked out for themselves and did what they are accustomed to doing.’
This banking example relates to religious authority sexual abuse in two ways: institutional response and responses by everyday people.
An example of institutional responses can be seen by the Santa Barbara Mission Franciscan community, that has been exposed of many cases of religious authority sexual abuse and cover up, settled out of court with abuse survivors, and now has reversed its apparent stance of remorse and support of abuse survivors by asking SAFENet to leave the property.
SAFENet (see mission statement) was founded in 2003 by two survivors of Franciscan priests sexual abuse. They did what many survivors would not do: stayed in contact with the Order to be partners in providing healing resources and reconciliation. They demonstrated extraordinary courage and compassion by leading and participating in dialogues with survivors and supporters, even participating in reconciliation dialogues in northern California.
They proposed a garden that would stand as a memorial and healing space for all with a conscience and soul that has been impacted by religious authority sexual abuse or any abuse. Mel Jurisich, the previous provincial minister, called SafeNet survivors “the students returning to be the teachers.”
The current administrator, Provincial John Hardin, OFM, has issued a directive that SAFENet is to leave the property by the end of this month. What a Christmas present the administrator offered. Can it be clearer how intolerable the acknowledgement of RASA is to so many people? It’s one thing to cancel the Garden of Forgiveness Project, but to kick out those who have served as healing resources for several years?
This is clearly another example of how unwilling traditional institutions are to change practices and policy that have and continue to minimize or brush aside the ongoing sexual abuse crimes against children and vulnerable adults. Like banks, this institution seems to have weathered the storm of its clergy abuse scandal and now is back to doing business as usual, while those who call for deeper reform or systemic transformation are left out in the cold.
The Common Dreams article points out that “The problem today is the so-called real economy. It’s a problem rooted in the kinds of jobs we have, the kind we need, and the kind we’re losing, and rooted as well in the kind of workers we want and the kind we don’t know what to do with. The real economy has been in a state of wrenching transition for decades, and its dislocations have never been squarely faced. A crisis of the real economy lies behind the Long Slump, just as it lay behind the Great Depression.”
I think that the problem of religious authority sexual abuse is a problem rooted in the kind of believers we have, the kind we need and the kind we’re losing. The real faith economy has also been in a state of wrenching transition for decades. We must now ask, “does faith lead us to action to liberate and protect vulnerable children and adults, particularly if it means questioning or prosecuting religious authorities who have sexually abused or covered up abuse of children and vulnerable adults?” Liberation, by the way, is not only an internal process; it includes the elimination of the causes of injustice or systemic transformation.
The evidence so far suggests that we do not have a shared faith that leads us to liberation (i.e., that leads to changing systems that oppress). That is why groups like the Center for Constitutional Rights filed a landmark complaint before the International Criminal Court at The Hague “urging the court to investigate and prosecute the Pope and other high level official for enabling and facilitating the systematic and widespread rape and sexual violence by priests and others associated with the church around the world.”
I am angry to hear of a survivor who has done tremendous good for survivors and supporters being treated in this way. I know that you can help by channeling your anger or concern by writing to the administrators, Provincial John Hardin, OFM: hardinofm@gmail.com and
Vicar Provincial, Ken Laverone, OFM: kjlofm@aol.com
You might ask for six months, a reasonable time, for SAFENet to close shop and move on with some sense of planning. Offer your support to survivors in general by speaking on behalf of this action in particular. Alternatively, post other ways you are supporting survivors.
Dr. Romo is a Commissioned Minister in the United Church of Christ for Healing and Healthy Environments. His most recent books are: “Healing the Sexually Abused Heart: A Workbook for Survivors, Thrivers, and Supporters;” “Parents Preventing Abuse;” and “Teachers Preventing Abuse.” Dr. Romo coaches survivors and supporters in person and via on-line healing programs at www.htsah.com
