Our hope is that by realizing one’s innate dignity they will accept that they are worthy of respect and will then recognize when they are being treated in a way that offends their human dignity.
Archbishop Schwietz developed a ministry of hope, healing and prevention. Under his leadership, I felt unfettered freedom to support victims who came forward by reaching out to the community at large through collaboration with government and non-profit agencies and other churches to address all forms of violence and abuse.
Healing and reforming ourselves from flaws, whether we are victims or the ones harming, requires honest reflection, trust and risk. It is through this path that we cooperate with God to re-form ourselves into the people who are originally created with dignity and for love.
It is easy to question if we are making a difference when we may be looking for “quick fixes” and “big results” and forgetting the value that come from being present with people.
Pope Francis calls us to focus on mercy this year, and our society asks us to focus on Child Abuse Awareness for the month of April. But what do mercy and child abuse awareness have in common?
The ministry of safe environment requires sincerity, authenticity and accountability. It is not just about meeting formal requirements to ensure safety; it is about authentically embracing the mission of protecting the vulnerable and ministering to those who have been harmed. It is about living our belief about the dignity of the human person.
The goal in implementing the policies of safe environment is to promote the charity, love and strength of Jesus to and from everyone. I am specifically referring to one very sensitive issue. Parishioners and ministers alike ask me about the church’s policies when a parishioner or church minister or volunteer has been convicted of a serious crime, such as a sexual offense against a child or vulnerable person or child pornography. These offenses are clearly against charity and the dignity of the human person. They cause very deep, life long wounds.
The next time you hear of a designation for a problem faced in our world, ask yourself, “What can I learn about this problem? What is my role to make a positive step to solving this problem?” The first step may be simply to challenge an attitude in yourself or someone else.
Common for many of us “baby boomers” were the understood, yet little discussed, social and family norms — especially those with regards to sexuality. As a society, certain social issues were not discussed even if everyone knew there was a problem, such as alcoholism, marital trouble, mental health concerns or sexual abuse of some kind. It’s not that these problems were always ignored or went without assistance. But the problem with keeping these topics out of conversation, even private conversations among parents and their children, is that children were not given the tools to address these issues or to seek help with them.
Safe Environment I am often asked, “When will we stop hearing about reports of abuse or how badly reports were handled by those representing the Roman Catholic Church?” We know there will continue to be reports from the past until all victims are able to come forward. We also know there will continue to be…