Marcus Mescher, Xavier University's associate professor of Christian ethics, made a study on the devastating effects of clergy abuse and the church's silence on victims.
The study sheds new light on the far-reaching consequences of this issue that are to spark a crucial conversation about how best to address this ongoing problem.
Mescher, who is a Catholic practitioner, decided to create a set of measurements that would allow others to comprehend the severity of the suffering caused by abuse at the hands of clergy members, who hold significant positions in the faith.
According to a report by newjersey.com, the measurement tools he developed included both quantitative and qualitative assessments.
To obtain data for these measures, a survey was conducted that involved 389 participants.
The survey was distributed among three groups: adult survivors of abuse by members of the clergy, employees of parishes, and Catholic college students.
Dimensions of Trauma
As Mescher listened to more and more accounts from survivors of clergy abuse, he realized that their pain extended far beyond the emotional or physical realm.
He stated that it constituted a form of moral trauma.
Victims of such abuse often experience a sense of isolation and emptiness and may even feel "dirty," according to Mescher.
In addition, he noted that many survivors feel a profound sense of abandonment, both by their church and community, as well as by God.
In December, Mescher and his colleagues at Xavier University released a report.
It showed how the abuse of children by members of the clergy and the subsequent attempts to conceal these crimes had lasting effects on survivors.
The effects include ongoing psychological and emotional distress, moral confusion, spiritual anguish, social isolation, and a lack of trust in institutions.
As the primary investigator of the report, Mescher emphasized that when the perpetrator of such abuse is a priest, the trauma can be even more complex and far-reaching.
According to Mescher, the researchers at Xavier University also discovered that the experience of coming forward as a survivor of clergy abuse could be just as traumatic as the abuse itself.
He stated that many victims kept their experiences to themselves out of fear that they would not be believed or that they would be blamed for what happened to them.
In fact, Mescher stated that several survivors recounted being blamed or shamed for the abuse they suffered.
In some cases, survivors were even instructed to pray for and forgive their abusers.
According to Mescher, this is even though the priests showed no remorse and made no attempt to make amends for the harm they had caused.
He stated that this often resulted in further psychological, spiritual, and moral harm to the survivors.
Church Betrayal
The report also highlighted that the moral harm caused by clergy abuse was not limited to survivors alone, but also affected Catholics who had never experienced abuse themselves.
Many of these individuals reported feeling anger, mistrust, or a sense of betrayal by the church.
As Mescher noted, Catholics are taught from an early age to view priests as more than just religious leaders.
They are believed to represent both God and the entire church, acting "in persona Christi" or "in the person of Christ."
This means that a betrayal by a priest can have a particularly devastating impact, as it strikes at the very heart of the Catholic faith.
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