Suffer the little children to come unto me

Anti-Catholics, lapsed Catholics, atheists and secularists like to play the child abuse card when attempting to attack the Catholic Church. 

The case of the convicted paedophile Orthodox priest from Ergates village (Nicosia District) highlights that child abuse is a universal plague. 

Paedophilia is a shocking and heinous crime and a grave sin not bound by country, nationality, age, gender, social class, occupation, or faith.  It is part of the Devil’s work on earth.

 

Equally heinous is the culture of collusion that often accompanies the abuse:  the blind defence of the abuser and the condemnation of the victim.  Villagers from Ergates who attended the court hearing in support of their priest were reportedly angry at the “unfair” sentence of 18 months (part of which he has already served in custody).  According to Politis newspaper, the CM reports, the priest’s wife verbally cursed the victim, now an adult woman, and said she wanted her to burn [in Hell?].  The victim had allegedly also filed a complaint against the wife for physically abusing her when she was a child in their foster care. 

It is difficult to understand how any right-thinking woman could defend her husband after sexually abusing a child, but it is not unheard of.  The 2008 Fritzl case in Austria springs to mind.  Perhaps denial kicks in as a coping mechanism:  the only way for the abuser’s spouse to preserve her sanity and deal with something so abominable is to rationalise it (falsely), make believe that it is acceptable or just not true, while demonising the victim.  If it’s the victim’s “fault” then the person you loved can’t be responsible.  It’s a delusion of course.

That priest’s wife needs counselling.  What are the villagers of Ergates or the authorities doing to help her?  She will have to live with the shame of her husband’s crime for the rest of her life.  And what will happen when he gets out of jail?  Will he return to his priestly duties?

see no evil, hear no evil...

Communities also club together in tacit collusion, as in the recent Jimmy Savile case in England, where members of the BBC, the police, school staff and NHS hospital staff were allegedly aware of his behaviour but turned a blind eye because Savile was “too powerful” or “too popular” and ... he raised millions of £ for them. 

I worked for 5 years for a charity in the UK that provided free support for women sexually abused in childhood.  On a telephone helpline, I listened to women, often in their 40s, 50s or older, who were only just beginning to come to terms with what had happened to them in their childhood; only just finding the words to tell their painful stories, 30 or 40 years after the events.  Many suffered with chronic depression and anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks, eating disorders, drug or alcohol addictions or both, and self-harmed or self-abused.  Some had suicidal thoughts.  A few had developed DID (dissociative identity disorder, or multiple personality disorder) as a way of coping.  All had problems in their interpersonal relationships.  They could not trust easily.  Part of their healing process was to learn to talk to a stranger about their experiences.

So I commend that Cypriot woman who found the courage and strength to report the priest and foster-father who abused her.  Her healing process has begun. It might also encourage other victims of childhood sexual abuse in Cyprus to come forward.  

Whatever is hidden will eventually come to light. 

There is a wealth of information on the Catholic Church’s response to the child abuse scandals here.  

God of endless love,ever caring, ever strong,always present, always just: You gave your only Son to save us by the blood of his cross.

Gentle Jesus, shepherd of peace,join to your own suffering the pain of all who have been hurt in body, mind, and spirit by those who betrayed the trust placed in them.

Hear our cries as we agonise over the harm done to our brothers and sisters. Breathe wisdom into our prayers,soothe restless hearts with hope, steady shaken spirits with faith: Show us the way to justice and wholeness,enlightened by truth and enfolded in your mercy.

Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts,heal your people’s wounds and transform our brokenness.Grant us courage and wisdom, humility and grace,so that we may act with justice and find peace in you.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.