Abuses of Trust and Power: whose problem is it?

There are many (too many) who would respond to this question with the answer, "The Church's".

Is this a fair response?  The answer has to be, "Nah, don't think so!"

There there are many stories relating to sexual impropriety and abuse of trust and power doing the rounds of late, and they pose a number of questions and even more learning outcomes. To set for ourselves some sort of datum from which we can work and perhaps establish some norms and set standards, let us reflect on the media times that have come into my consciousness so far this year (you will undoubtedly know of others, but let's see where this takes us before we start posting names and other cases, eh?):

The Gibb report (An abuse of faith) which relates to a former Bishop Peter Ball and what appears to be a fair degree of complicity from senior clerics and the institution.

The news stories relating to the Revd Andrew Sloane, who misappropriated £14,500 of church funds to pay for rent boys.

The Netflix series 'Keepers' and the awful tales of complicity, cover-up and betrayal by the Catholic church in Baltimore relating to sexual abuse and the murder of Nun.

The film 'Philomena' - a true story of forced adoption,  abuse of power and trust, cover-up and lies from the Catholic Church relating to Philomena Lee and the search for her son, Anthony.

The data handed to an Australian commission on abuse in the Catholic church suggesting that in the period 1950 - 2010 some 1,265 Catholic priests, brothers and nuns had their names passed on to some 93 Catholic authorities as abusers by 4,444 people. Following the commission's report, Australia's senior cleric, Cardinal George Pell, was quoted as saying, "The Church had made 'enormous mistakes' and 'catastrophic' choices by refusing to believe abused children, shuffling abusive priests from parish to parish and over-relying on counseling of priests to solve the problem."

Sadly,  just over a week ago Cardinal Pell was charged  with a number of historic sex offences and is awaiting a visit to the magistrate's court. Regardless of the outcome, that's sure to open a bigger can of worms!

This week I've read of an eighty year old Muslim man (Mohammed Haji Sadiq) who apparently  taught at a Cardiff' mosque and abused children there for something up to thirty years before being caught and convicted.

There's been numerous football coaches accused of sexual (and other) abuse this year.

A doctor associated with US Gymnastics has been committed for trial for sexual abuse of some of those under his care. There was also a recent piece in the news of a Canadian ski coach who also abused those he taught.

The Rochdale sexual abuse scandal, complete with cover-ups, looking the other way by authorities and the accusations that this was an 'Asian' problem (not helped by the "Rotherham' and other cases in the news) makes for poor and uncomfortable reading. Add to this the Jersey care home scandal and the abuse by foster parents, by natural parents, by adoptive parents, family members and friend of the family, the abuse by media stars, DJs, and entertainers and what do we have?


Only this week a Reigate Scout leader was jailed for 26 years for sexual abuse and I've found another eight stories relating to Scouting. These were all historical, the reason for this being that the organisation, being aware of past problems, has become more proactive and alert to safeguarding needs..

The BBC's Panorama programme recently looked at abuse in the uniformed cadet organisations. Statistics produced during the programmes the statistics on the left were quoted.


The reality is that sexual (and other) abuse can occur in every area of life and the perpetrator can be almost anyone. I remember the sixties when the jokes about sexual abuse and Scout leaders were always going the rounds and now they are one of the better examples of safeguarding practice.

My problem with abuse, regardless of what form it takes or the group in which it has occurred, is the breach of trust that causes it to happen and the institutional deceit that seems to raise its ugly head to work at concealing the sin (for sin it is) and further destroy any remaining trust in the organisation that might have existed.

Worse still is the fact that people judge Jesus and the Church as a whole when individuals act to abuse. Now I have to say that we, as the Gibbs report shows, don't help ourselves in this area and the lies, cover up, misdirection and ignoring of the abused only seek to show Church to be full of hypocrites and liars.

BUT NOT EVERY CHRISTIAN DESERVES OR FITS THIS LABEL!

We need to be vigilant but not paranoid.

We need to be trusting but not naive.

We need to protect the weak, the vulnerable and the young - remembering that everyone is vulnerable at some time in their life.

Gentle as doves, cunning as serpents and protective of all as if they were our own.

Pax

Oh no - Not another church sex scandal!

The release of the report 'An abuse of faith' makes for eighty-one pages of (largely) uncomfortable reading and will undoubtedly lead us into the public spotlight and open us up to vilification from many. Although relating to what many are referring to as 'historic', the conversations will be happening in the 'now ' and needs an understanding of the facts and the way forward - accentuating positives and learning from the errors - that this sad situation presents.

To this end, may I suggest that take some time to read the report (you can find it by clicking here )?

Following Ball's conviction in 2015 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, commissioned an independent inquiry which was chaired by Dame Moira Gibb, who in the foreword of the report writes:

"This report considers the serious sexual wrongdoing of Peter Ball, a bishop of the Church of England who abused many boys and men over a period of twenty years or more. That is shocking in itself but is compounded by the failure of the Church to respond appropriately to his misconduct, again over a period of many years. Ball's priority was to protect and promote himself and he maligned the abused. The Church colluded with that rather than seeking to help those he had harmed, or assuring itself of the safety of others.

We were asked to consider changes necessary to ensure that safeguarding in the Church is of the highest possible standard. The Church has made significant progress in recent years in its understanding of abuse. We have no doubt that the Church has a genuine commitment to meeting its responsibilities towards the victims of abuse. However we can see how difficult it is to make change across the complex structures of the Church. Progress has been slow and continuing, faster improvement is still required. It is the leadership of the Archbishops and Bishops which will determine whether change is effective."

The report has eleven recommendations for the Church focusing on a range of issues including:
i.   focusing on getting the right support in place for survivors, 
ii.  the leadership of bishops, 
iii.  strengthening guidance, 
iv.  reviewing the Archbishops' Lists, and
v.   the effectiveness of our disciplinary measures with regards to safeguarding related cases."

Then David, staff in hand, chose five smooth stones* from the stream, 

put them in his shepherd's bag and, sling in his hand, 

approached the enemy.

This statement from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby is, I think, rather helpful:

"Abuse of Faith makes harrowing reading: the Church colluded and concealed rather than seeking to help those who were brave enough to come forward. This is inexcusable and shocking behaviour and although Dame Moira notes that most of the events took place many years ago,  and does not think that the Church now would conduct itself in the ways described we can never be complacent, we must learn lessons. I fully endorse the recommendations in the report and will ensure that the House of Bishops addresses how we can implement these as soon as possible, working with the National Safeguarding Team. For the survivors who were brave enough to share their story and bring Peter Ball to justice, I once again offer an unreserved apology. There are no excuses whatsoever for what took place and the systemic abuse of trust perpetrated by Peter Ball over decades."  



* JUST MAKE SURE THEY ARE THE RIGHT STONES!

Journal: Philomena - not an easy watch!

I watched the film, Philomena, today. It's one of those films that relate to the 'Magdelen Laundries' and the actions of various members of the Catholic Church relating to the care of young 'fallen' and/or 'unrukry and wayward' young women.

The film featured harsh and bitter treatment of the young women at times but that want the worst bit, for it also pointed to the results of these young women's sin, the children, being effectively sold off to adoptive couples.

In 1952, Philomena Lee (played by Judi Dench) gave birth to a son in a 'mother and baby home'. Three years later that same child was passed on for adoption (with another child) and money changed hands. The institution was legal led allowed to do this because the mothers were made to sign a document passing all rights regarding the child to the order of nuns and the Catholic church. Seems to me that, having read other books on the subject, this was a nice little earner - but that's not the bit that causes me distress (even though it is distressing).

What gets my goat is the institutional corruption and deceit that saw all paperwork, save the legal transfer of rights, destroyed by the nuns. Add to this the fact that the organisation denied access to information that would have enabled morhter and son to be reunited when they came looking and you have sprinkles on the cake already bedecked with the cherries of sexual immorality and abuse. Is it any wonder that people distrust the Church (all and every brand of it) when our recent past is held up to scrutiny.

Add to this the remarkable film 'Spotlight' and the exposé of the sexual abuse covered up and buried, and the institutional suppression of the truth and the oppression aimed at those who sought to find it: and you have a picture of something extremely wrong in terms of Church and the discharge of the Gospel.

This is not a Roman Catholic issue alone, as happenings in the CofE and other denominations and groupings clearly demonstrate. Wherever there is power on offer, there are people who will abuse that power for their own gain and pleasure. What is tragic (and that's a polite word) is the fact that the Church (universal) has looked the other way and so permitted wrong to have happened and then covered it up - lying, using its institutional power and the pressure its members can impose on friends and family should they be rocking the boat - and so compounded their sin.

The Church is made up of flawed, fallible and potentially awful people. But evil does triumph and Jesus, the Christ, falls from the cross onto the floor impotent as the Church, stumbling and falling seeks to cover things up. The triumph is that there are good people doing good things and standing against evil inside and outside of Church.

The good (should that be 'amazing') thing is that there are people like Philomena Lee who maintain their faith in God, seeing past the flawed and fallible representatives of the church before them, to Worship God. A most uncomfortable and angst-filled, Anger-making film indeed.

Worth a watch,

Punctuation - what is it good for?

Absolutely everything!

As this newsflash (apparently from AP) so clearly demonstrates:

I have a sneaky feeling that this might benefit from a comma between the words crash and lands.

Well , I hope so anyway!

Mental illness is not a passport ...

To be mad!

It was with these words that I was pulled us short during a conversation with someone who has been diagnosed with, and locked up, a mental health issue.

We were talking about a mutual acquaintance who also has troubles, trials and issues as a result if their mental health situation and they, like many suffer from the ebb and flow of the well-being and stable tides. I made the comment that they were often visibly 'not in a good place' and received a broadside as I was told that whilst mental state was something that wavered it was not the aforementioned passport to madness and neither was it something that granted the right to behave badly or be treaded badly either!

Intrigued I asked them to continue, and goodness me - they did!

'There are days when it just goes wrong and you need people to understand that you need a bit if slack - a smile and bit of encouragement. This says, 'You're human and you're valued, lived, respected and most of all - valid. After all, who wants to be an 'in valid'? There are days when it takes all your energy to leave the house but if you don't then the next day gets harder and the day after harder still until they break down the door and take you to the morgue!'

They went on to tell me how, in their opinion, Mental illness is not permission to behave badly and those who do yet don't have to (for some apparently choose to make it what they choose along with the forced) do others who are mentally ill a great disservice.

If you break a leg then you have to get it mended. If when the break is healed you continue to limp then you limp - that's a fact of life. The same goes for broken minds,

Some days the leg will hurt and you'll limp more - could be you've done too much the day before I ruts cold or damp or so etching - it's the same with a broken mind!

But some people like to make the limp more pronounced and other try hard to look normal. So e will be victims and others will be sufferers, but not even they know which they are sometimes and so we treat the limpets with respect, give them love, support and care.

But not indulgence and that's the problem because the system is over stretched and useless at times and people just see the limp and not the person the broken limb (leg, brain, heart, etc.) is attached to. They become a client or a bloody nuisance - a scrounged or a naughty child who lives to their own desires and dances to their own tunes and uses the limp as the excuse if challenged. But we have control, not always complete but we we do have it most of the time, and so we should live in that reality - not the fiction some choose to pretend is real, not the fiction that the attitudes of those without limps would have you believe consists of 'Pulling yourself together or cheering up,' would bring.

Mental health is like having legs. Some walk without a limp, some with a slight limp, others have days when it is worse and they can hardly walk - some need sticks or wheelchairs every day. The question is:

Do you know that person you see limping?

Do you know their story?

Do you know their needs?

Do you call yourself a Christian?

If you do and you've said 'No' to the first three questions then you need to ask yourself what being a Christian is - because you don't only have a choice as to how you behave and act but you also have commandments and instructions to guide you:

'If anyone has the means to bring relief and sees someone in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in the? How can they call themselves Christian? 
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.' 

1 John 3:17-18

I was going to post this on World Mental Health day but reasons: pastoral and personal meant it was better left for another time. Please think about the words and he call within it it to challenge who, how and what is true about you.

Please pray for those with limps and for those who care for them.

Please pray for churches with open doors, arms and hearts.

Please act for justice and support for those who continue with their limps today.

Pax