Most Catholics in England say the abuse crisis has weakened the Church’s moral authority

LEICESTER, United Kingdom – A new report says Catholics in England and Wales have been deeply affected by the clergy sex abuse crisis, with a third of mass goers saying they have reduced or stopped attending church altogether because of the issue.

Attitudes of Catholics in England and Wales towards child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church was published on Thursday by Durham University’s Center for Catholic Studies.

The Catholic population in England and Wales makes up about 8 percent of the country, or just over 3 million people.

In 2016, the British government established an independent statutory inquiry known as IICSA: The Independent inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. Looking at the Catholic Church, the study records more than 3,000 cases of child sexual abuse linked to the Church between 1970 and 2015. It also says that abuse is not a “historical problem” as more than There have been 100 new accusations.

More than three-quarters of those surveyed for the University of Durham data said they think the Catholic Church needs to change a lot to prevent further cases of child sexual abuse.

“Around half of all Catholics believe that the Church has experienced similar levels of child sexual abuse as other parts of society, or do not know this. However, among those who believe there is a difference, it is considered more common in the Catholic Church,” the report said.

The document notes that significant differences exist between parts of the Catholic population. Those who attend Mass more often – the “regulars” – are likely to have a more positive view of how the Catholic Church has addressed the abuse crisis, both in relation to history and in relation to other sites of abuse. However, it is much more likely that those present – ​​the ‘Nevers’ – have a more negative opinion.

“How do Catholics view the situation in the Church now? Given the widespread reporting of historical and recent abuse, and of systematic failures to address it, deep suspicion might be expected,” the report said.

“On the other hand, there have been changes in the way the Church listens to victims, supports protection and works with civil authorities, among other changes in practice and culture. Nevertheless, highly respected voices have criticized the Church for failing to implement the necessary reforms, or for failing to implement them quickly enough,” the document continues.

The report says that attitudes toward the crisis of abuse in the Catholic Church are not based solely on the existence of individual cases, but on “a perception of systemic failures in the Church’s response at all levels, including the displacement of clerics accused of abuse rather than dealing with the issues, the inability to cooperate or notify civil authorities, and a code of silence – compared to the mafia’s omerta – that damages the reputation of the institution and prioritises those in power over the victims.”

The document states that the trend of detachment it notes regarding mass gatherings and attitudes toward the prevalence and persistence of child sexual abuse is also seen in the attitudes of Catholics toward the activities of bishops – including Pope Francis – in response to cases and allegations of child sexual abuse. abuse in the Church.

“This requires some care in interpretation. On the one hand, the three types of Mass goers – Regular, Occasional and Never – will generally have very different levels of ability to access information shared in a church setting, especially during Mass, but also – if we consider the Taking Mass – going as a proxy for church involvement – ​​through things like documents available in the church building (e.g., safety policies and guidelines on a notice board, or available to take with you),” the document explains.

“On the other hand, it is presumptuous to assume that those with low or even no Mass attendance do not have access to such things. Church buildings often serve a social function, and ‘lapsed’ Catholics can nevertheless live with more regular visitors who bring home or discuss material. Moreover, hearing cases is a matter of history, while witnessing crimes is a matter of current practice. “Catholics classified as ‘Nevers’ in this study but who previously attended Mass may have heard of cases in their previous Mass state (and this may even have been a factor in their change of practice),” it continues.

Dr. Greg Ryan from the University of Durham’s Department of Theology is co-author of Attitudes of Catholics in England and Wales towards child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

“The lack of confidence among regular Massgoers in bishops’ handling of abuse cases indicates that Catholics are unimpressed by the Church’s response and believe there is a need for improvement,” he said.

Another co-author of the study, Dr. Marcus Pound, of the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of Durham, said the analysis of the data generally shows that the Catholic community feels that abuse “is not a uniquely Catholic or ecclesiastical problem.”

“However, there is also a belief that the Church must make changes to prevent such abuse in the future,” he said.

The report concludes by noting that clergy sexual abuse of children “has been and continues to be a site of trauma in the Catholic Church.”

“The Church’s response therefore involves even more than listening, reparations and robust safeguards. In the context of ecclesiastical schemas, not only individuals, but also communities and the global Church must confront the question of how to reconfigure faith, practices, belonging, and more in light of disturbing data on clerical child sexual abuse and deficiencies in the church schedules. The church’s response, the experience of the victims and the experience of ordinary Catholics trying to make sense of what happened in their church,” it said.

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