In a meeting that was not officially recorded or on his agenda, Pope Francis recently met with a Spanish man who had been sexually abused by his spiritual director during his time as a seminarian. This encounter highlights the deep dysfunction within the Catholic Church’s response to the global clergy sex abuse scandal. Despite the Pope’s willingness to listen to the survivor’s story, it is evident that the church’s in-house system for addressing abuse is failing on multiple fronts, from the lack of effective laws to punish abusers to the inadequate support provided to survivors.
Five years ago, Pope Francis convened a historic summit of bishops from around the world to address the issue of clergy abuse. During the summit, bishops heard harrowing accounts from victims, learned about investigating and sanctioning abusive priests, and were warned of consequences if they continued to protect abusers. However, half a decade later, the church’s internal legal system and pastoral response to victims remain incapable of effectively dealing with the problem.
Victims, external investigators, and even in-house canon lawyers have criticized the church’s response, stating that it often retraumatizes survivors who come forward with their abuse experiences. The process of reporting abuse is met with silence, stonewalling, and inaction from the church, leaving victims feeling neglected and denied justice. The experience of seeking justice within the church is described as a destructive and harmful process, with victims often facing more significant problems than before they came forward.
In 2001, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger implemented significant changes to the way the Catholic Church handled abusive clergy. However, despite Pope Francis’ promises to confront abusive clergy, pass new laws, and hold bishops accountable, the Vatican has provided no transparency or statistics regarding the number of bishops investigated or sanctioned. Even the pope’s own child protection advisory commission acknowledges that structural flaws within the system harm victims and impede justice.
The norms enacted by the U.S. Catholic Church for sanctioning priests and protecting minors were once hailed as the gold standard. However, victims and canon lawyers argue that the system is not effective, especially when it comes to cases involving adult victims. Some attribute this to a sense of “charter fatigue,” where the hierarchy wants to move beyond the scandal that led to the 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.
Canon lawyer Rev. Thomas Doyle, who previously worked for the Vatican embassy in Washington, advises victims not to pursue justice within the church, as he believes they will be let down. He suggests that the only semblance of justice victims have received is through civilian courts, as the church’s internal system fails to deliver.
Numerous investigations into abuse within the Catholic Church have identified the in-house legal system as a significant part of the problem. Reports from France, Germany, Australia, Spain, and the United States have all highlighted the deficiencies in the church’s response. Structural conflicts of interest, the lack of fundamental rights for victims, and the absence of published case law are among the core issues that persist.
The church’s internal legal system is marred by conflicts of interest, as bishops or religious superiors investigate allegations against their own priests. This inherent bias compromises the objectivity and fairness of the judgment process. Victims are treated as third-party witnesses, unable to participate in proceedings or access case files. Their rights and needs are neglected, leading to retraumatization. The lack of published case law further undermines the credibility and effectiveness of the church’s response.
