On January 6, 2002, The Boston Globe published a groundbreaking investigation revealing that former priest John Geoghan had abused 130 children, with the Catholic hierarchy covering it up. This sparked a global reckoning, marking a dark chapter for the Church—especially in Boston—and the pain continues to resonate. In the years since, rebuilding trust, pursuing justice, and promoting healing have become central to academic, religious, and social discourse within Catholic and broader Christian communities.
As we reflect on the ongoing impact of the clergy sexual abuse crisis, we ask: How have scholars, educators, and practitioners contributed to restoring trust and justice? How can psychology, theology, and culture engage in generative conversations to meet the psychological and spiritual needs of parishioners and church leaders? What new initiatives, ministerial programs, and spiritual practices have emerged to prevent abuse, promote healing, and foster flourishing within faith communities?
This paper examines the compounded trauma experienced by undocumented victim-survivors of clergy sexual abuse in the context of increasing anti-immigrant hostility. Drawing on recent data that shows declining rates of sexual assault reporting among immigrant populations, it explores how fear of deportation, distrust of authorities, and intensified anti-immigrant rhetoric further marginalize undocumented victim-survivors. The concept of cultural betrayal is introduced to highlight the additional harm experienced when abuse takes place within one’s own faith-based community—a space that ostensibly offers belonging and cultural affirmation. By analyzing the psychological and spiritual impact of cultural betrayal trauma, the paper underscores the importance of critically rethinking community values like unity and resilience. This paper aims to explore healing communities where pastoral caregivers foster mutual accountability and engage in inclusive theological reflection in pastoral care and counseling. In doing so, it calls on pastoral caregivers to stand in solidarity with undocumented victim-survivors, interrupting the silence and complicity that allow spiritual, cultural, and institutional betrayals to persist.
This paper explores the clerical sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic church. It proposes a re-reading of the crucifixion narrative, arguing that Jesus Christ was a victim of sexual abuse. Through the lens of power, violation, and humiliation, the crucifixion is examined to expose the sexual violence inflicted upon Jesus. This interpretation seeks to privilege the stories of those victimized by clerical abuse, offering a new theological framework for understanding their suffering and reclaiming their relationship with God and their faith communities. This theological framework is one in which the bodies of survivors are seen as sites of theological construction, theologizing from their bodies to make sense of their experience and their relationship with the divine in light of clerical abuse. By confronting the sexual dimensions of Jesus's suffering, this paper calls for the church to acknowledge and address the reality of clerical abuse, fostering a space of healing and belonging for survivors.
While the Spotlight investigation catalyzed global attention to clergy abuse of minors, the Catholic Church's institutional response has largely overlooked adult victims. This paper examines how church policies, First Amendment defenses, and institutional structures perpetuate this blind spot, impeding comprehensive healing. Analysis of diocesan websites reveals a troubling pattern: policies frequently restrict abuse acknowledgment to minors and narrowly-defined "vulnerable adults," denying the inherent power imbalance in clergy-congregant relationships. Unlike other professional contexts that explicitly prohibit sexual contact regardless of consent, Catholic institutions have failed to establish similar boundaries for clergy. The paper suggests essential reforms: comprehensive policies recognizing adult vulnerability, transparent reporting mechanisms, cooperation with accountability legislation, and education about power dynamics in pastoral relationships. The Church's healing journey remains incomplete as long as adult victims continue to be marginalized in institutional responses, undermining efforts to rebuild trust and establish meaningful accountability.