THE CATHOLIC CHURCH’S POSITION ON CHURCH SEXUAL ABUSE

THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF LETTERS FROM CHILEAN BISHOPS AND PRIESTS TO THE VATICAN IN A CASE OF CHURCH SEXUAL ABUSE

Abstract

Child sexual abuse is a phenomenon that has been gaining relevance as a social problem that threatens the rights of children and young people and that generates bio-psychosocial severe consequences. Sexual and conscience abuse in ecclesiastical contexts has had relative visibility given the weight of religious institutions in societies in cultural transition like ours. Although these forms of abuse share characteristics with other forms of violence, they have specificities given the ecclesiastical structure and culture. Considering this, we analyze the arguments that bishops, priests and academics elaborated through 22 letters sent to the Vatican in defence of a priest in a case of public connotation during the canonical process whose result was the expulsion of the clerical state. Through Thematic Analysis, we identified four themes referring: the relational contexts between the priest, his defenders and his victims; the purpose for the elaboration of the letters; The extraordinary personal attributes of the priest and the characteristics of the complainants as an argument would make abusive situations impossible; A set of arguments that explaining the complaints. These issues allow us to discuss both the defence logics that are present in situations of ecclesiastical abuse. In addition, what is identified as the position of the third party, spectator or incumbent who deploys actions and narratives that can potentially become protective agents or, as in this case, could have generated actions of secondary victimization, impunity, and silencing.