Listening to survivors of abuse

Posted on 28. Feb, 2019, in Christian Values, CrimeComments Off on Listening to survivors of abuse

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Jim Corkery is a Jesuit theologian who teaches in the Gregorian University in Rome. He also assists in the Centre for the Protection of Minors there, working at times with Hans Zollner SJ, a psychologist and leading expert on child sexual abuse.

In this interview with Pat Coyle, he reflects on the recent summit on Child Protection convened in Rome by Pope Francis. Whilst welcoming the meeting he says that the problem of clerical sexual abuse cannot be fixed by the Church authorities alone in Rome. He says that the voices of many people, most especially the survivors of abuse, must be heard, and they must be allowed to play a central role in finding a lasting solution to the crisis.

He added that we need to listen to survivors, learn from them, and evaluate theological teaching as well as our understanding of power, sin and grace, in the light of what they tell us.