"Spotlight" on the process...

This evening I took the bus, ferry and subway to a movie theater in Manhattan at Union Square so I could see "Spotlight", the movie about how the Boston Globe broke the story of clerical sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston, and how it was systemically covered up by people in power who should have been looking out for the victims and not the perpetrators. I found it fascinating watching the meticulous process the reporters went through in gathering information, verifying sources and seeking out the kernel of truth that was obscured under layers and layers of  bureaucracy and ecclesial blocking. The leads were wonderful; I especially loved Stanley Tucci's performance as the attorney operating outside the "good old boys" network, branded as a kook who doggedly speaks for the under-represented.

But this is a story that is all too familiar to those of us who grew up in the mid  century Roman Catholic neighborhoods of urban America. This is not to say that other adults who worked in close proximity to children are exempt from accusations of being sexual predators in our midst, for there have been educators and others who are guilty of the same crimes. Nor is it only Roman Catholic clergy who are the sole perpetrators; these predators exist across denominational lines.  However, there appears to be systemic factors in the selection and training of Roman Catholic priests which  make it easier for those who are potential abusers to slip into the ranks.

I have felt for some time that segregating young men in a forced same sex community where they are unable to develop healthy interaction with members of the opposite sex does, in a real sense, force an arrested sexual identity upon them.  In denying them social contact with women, even women in their own families: mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins; these men live their lives at a great disadvantage, unable to successfully tap into the gifts, talents and insights wise women can give them.

But the biggest tragedy of this situation is that devastation of lives could be avoided; once an incident is uncovered, the guilty adult should be dealt with swiftly and professionally. The child's recovery should be tantamount. Unfortunately, this was not always the case.


In my home parish, an outer borough of New York City, such a case occurred.
An assistant pastor, who had overseen a successful music program and was moderator of the parish's Scouthing program, was suddenly transferred to another state.  Many in the parish assumed he would be the next pastor, or at least get one of his own with the title of "Monsignor" not far behind. The parish grapevine indicated he left voluntarily to be closer to his aging mother, but it was not really true.  He was moved because he was accused of having a liason with a teenaged boy.  My mother was distressed.  How could this be she thought?  Afterall he had officiated at three of her children's weddings....including mine. However, it turned out to be very real.  He went on to continue this behavior in several other parishes in his new state, eventually costing that diocese around $2.5 million in civil suit settlements. He did finally leave the priesthood and retired to yet another state.


What can be learned from all of this, from the pain and suffering it caused, from the abandonment and loss of trust many have felt over this issue?  At the very least, a closer look must be taken in how discernment and formation of clergy is done. Psychological screening and personal evaluations need to be improved for the protection of the innocent.




And on a personal note, I would prefer not to have to travel an hour into Manhattan to find a theater showing this powerful film.