My interactions with the Tasmanian Catholic Church reveals an ongoing siege mentality. This is at odds with the spirit of transparency, openness and renewal needed for Church leaders to accept accountability for the catastrophic failures of the past, opening the way for improved safeguarding.

The siege mentality provides the false narrative that permits leaders and the Catholic faithful to believe that the scandals of child sexual abuse by clerics are overblown and part of a wider secular attack on religion. The Tasmanian Church leadership sees its role is to preserve the remnants of the true “deposit of the faith and the faithful’, disdainful of those Catholics more respectful of the spirit of inclusion espoused by Pope Francis.

The attitude toward child sexual abuse in the Tasmanian Catholic Church is emblematic of the tensions between the conservative and the more progressive elements. It is shameful and sad that the safety and wellbeing of children is lost in these theological squabbles. This is a case of Christians giving Christ a bad name.

I am pretty sure that if Christ returned he would be with those tying ribbons on the fences of Churches reminding all that we need to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children above everything.

At the heart of this is a dogged refusal to acknowledge that child sexual abuse incurs lifelong harms. This lack of empathy and callous response is what allows otherwise good people to deny the reality that their wilful blindness has caused immeasurable mental, emotional, physical and spiritual harm. Child sexual abuse isn’t a victim-less ‘moral lapse’ as some Church leaders continue to believe. Paedophilia is a deep-rooted psycho-social mental condition and child sexual abuse is a crime. Failure to protect a child is also a crime in most Australian jurisdictions, so those who engaged in the cover-ups are also subject to prosecution.

Those denying the truth of thousands of child victims at the hands of Australian Catholic religious continue to commit the sin of giving scandal to the Church corroding the faith of their fellows. By covering-up the crimes of priests and other religious they have perpetuated and amplified their evil acts.

Those who have presided over cover-ups are in no position to remediate the culture of the Church, be it in the parishes or in Catholic Schools.

Conversation starters

1. How does the response of the Tasmanian Catholic Church to revelations of longstanding child sexual abuse compare with some mainland dioceses?
2. How does the response of the Catholic Church compare with other mainstream religions?
3. What do you think Pope Francis would make of the siege mentality evident in the Hobart Archdiocese?