At the Oscars last night, “Spotlight”, the critically-acclaimed film about the Boston Globe's investigation of clergy sexual abuse of children, won Best Picture.
“This film gave a voice to survivors and this Oscar amplifies that voice which we hope will become a choir that will resonate all the way to the Vatican,” said producer Michael Sugar, who accepted the award with his co-producers. “Pope Francis, it is time to protect the children and restore the faith.”
That message will resonate with Catholics across the nation. They have been deeply shocked by the cascading series of revelations regarding the problem of clergy sexual abuse and administrative cover-ups that surfaced in the wake of the Globe's exposé.
I have covered this issue extensively and am still shaken by Church leaders' past failures to effectively confront the problem. I know men who hid the trauma of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a priest for most of their lives, and acknowledged the truth only when their marriages began to break down.
But I was stunned, and even a little shocked, to hear the producer's remark: “Pope Francis, it is time to protect the children and restore the faith.”
Did the producer stop researching this topic after the Globe published its page-one stories about the cover-up in Boston more than a decade earlier? Is Michael Sugar unaware that since 2002 the Church has mounted a massive campaign to establish and implement ambitious guidelines for the protection of children and young people? A link to a 10-year progress report—published in 2011—on these critical reforms is here.
Today in Catholic schools, parishes, and nonprofits across the nation, everyone who has contact with children undergoes background checks and takes part in safe environment training, which includes directives that bar adults from being alone with children. Further, students are also trained to resist sexual predators and spot those who “groom” their prey.
Catholic dioceses across the nation adhere to strict guidelines that require prompt reporting of credible allegations of clergy sexual abuse. Dioceses now have offices where victims can make allegations, and the report is assessed by lay review boards composed of experts who know a great deal about sexual predators who target children.
It would be interesting to know how many public schools, which have struggled to address child sexual abuse by teachers and others, have embraced similar reforms. In 2014, the U.S. Government Accountability Office issued an alarming report, which estimated that 9.6 percent of students suffered from sexual abuse by teachers, coaches and others during their K-12 school years. (That report is available as a PDF here.)
Meanwhile, the Church in the United States has dramatically improved its screening process for seminary admissions and its formation of future priests. And Pope Francis, with the backing of the newly-established Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, has directed bishops across the globe to promptly report allegations of clergy sexual abuse. In many countries where child sexual abuse is not a criminal offense, the Church will be leading the way for important changes.
We can never be complacent, and even the best guidelines cannot guarantee that every child will be protected. But the Church has accomplished a great deal since the Boston scandals—and I, for one, do not think it helpful to ignore or dismiss its campaign to change its practices.
I believe “Spotlight” will help reaffirm the truth that child sexual abuse inflicts horrible trauma on its victims, and such activity can never be justified or ignored. That message deserves repeating, or it will be forgotten. The Vatican has endorsed the film and applauded the Academy for recognizing the film.
But I would respectfully suggest that Michael Sugar take the trouble to understand the important work that has been done in the Church. It offers a model for needed reforms in public and private schools across our country that can help protect children. Shouldn't that be our first concern? Taking another swipe at the Church sends the message that change isn't possible, and leaves the false and dangerous impression that the only children at risk are those enrolled in Catholic schools and altar server programs.
Mr. Sugar, time to update your facts if you really want to "protect the children."
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Thanks for writing this, Ms. Desmond. I don’t know that the Church’s efforts to protect children will ever be recognized in a country where anti-Catholicism is a culturally acceptable prejudice. Just yesterday, as I was praying with a group outside an abortion clinic, a passerby sneered, “Yeah, so they [babies] can grow up to be molested by priests.” How could we respond to such hatred and contempt? We just kept praying.
I also suggest Ms. Frawley Desmond do some research on public school policies too. Every public school I have ever encountered—in 15+ years working in public education—requires fingerprinting and background check for any adult who has any possibility of being in an unsupervised position with any child. Every public school I have ever encountered also provides background training for volunteers. Personally in my experience, I found our Catholic school training for elementary school kids on “recognizing good and bad touches,” etc. to be intrusive and was not happy having some other adult explain to my children what the difference was. But perhaps that’s just me.
Realistically, all that I see the Catholic school initiatives doing, on a practical level, is excluding parents. As a previous commenter mentioned, it is far harder for parents to get into schools even to visit, sit in on religious instruction, etc. (and yet I can’t recall too many abuse scandals in the Church where parents were the culprits).
Thanks, Joan, for reminding us that “the Catholic Church” represented in Rome today by Pope Francis—-and the Cardinals and Bishops around the world is a strong defender of human life: from “the womb to the tomb,” and has, also, taken staunch measures to protect children….as much, even more than most other institutions./ Of course, there is almost always “room for improvement” in any institution composed of human beings—so, if you are aware of problems in your parish, contact your Bishop—or look for other ways to get involved if you have some ideas on how to improve things.
Hollywood doing a major film drama about pedophilia in Hollywood? No, will not happen. Besides the Roman Polanski’s, and Michael Jackson’s, and Woody Allen’s, there are many, many supposedly many other characters lurking around child actors. Cory Feldman and a few others say this is an “open secret”. He says pedophilia is, and always has been the main problem in Hollywood.
Besides, regarding this pedophilia in Hollywood, few really care about it. The people are paid off, the parents get the money, and no one demands or expects better behavior. The is unlike the case of a Catholic priest. Yes, we have a double standard. Double standards can function as long as it is an open truth that THERE IS A DOUBLE STANDARD.
This article and many comments talk about what the church has done to protect children today but no one mentions the actions it has taken to fight the reparations payments to victims of past abuse. If the church truly wanted to help it would provide funds to help the victims whose lives have been ruined.
The Catholic Church has to be one of the riches organizations in the world. When you look at it’s real estate holdings and all of the art it has collected over the centuries, the Vatican Museum is bursting at the seams. Could it not sell some of this to pay for reparations rather than hide the money and declare bankruptcy. This seems to be the approach and the Bishops who implement it get promoted. Look at Cardinal Dolan in NYC, he moved money from a diocese in Minnesota to a Cemetery Fund so the victims could not get it and then the diocese declared bankruptcy. This is happening every day now. How does that demonstrate a willingness to cooperate with law enforcement to fix this pedophilia problem?
Mrs. Cracker—The problem may be institutional and not uniquely Catholic .... but, it IS A CATHOLIC PROBLEM. And CATHOLICS should be calling their bishops to account. It is not anti-Catholic to call out criminals in our midst and demand justice.
The rules put in place in the Church after 2002 are only as good as the bishops enforcing them.
See the latest news from Altoona-Johnstown, PA.
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/state/2016/03/01/Staggering-abuse-cover-up-in-Altoona-Johnstown-diocese-grand-jury-says/stories/201603010091
The Church should not be touting its changes to protect children until it has held the bishops who covered up the crimes against children accountable.
Posted by Fred on Tuesday, Mar 1, 2016 11:04 PM (EST):
Just how much “good” does it take to outweigh the systemic human rights abuses by the Catholic Church?”
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Likely the same amount needed by the Boy Scouts or any other institution that deals with young people, has members who abuse the trust placed in them, & peers who cover for the offenders. It’s an institutional problem, not a uniquely Catholic problem. Unless you have an anti-Catholic agenda of course.
Just how much “good” does it take to outweigh the systemic human rights abuses by the Catholic Church?
Hollywood is full of anti Catholic bigots who refuse to tell the whole story. I’d love to see a movie about the many teachers that have been involved in sexual abuse, especially women teachers seducing young boys. There have been at least 4 in our state alone during the past few years, and most have been young women in their twenties. I do not wish to see this movie, not because of the subject (because we know it happened) but because I knew that Hollywood would treat this movie as something still occurring . I am disappointed too at the Vaticans reaction, as it appears that the Church as you’ve said, hasn’t been doing anything to prevent this from occurring again. I’d like to see Hollywood make a movie about polygamy here in Utah, and how young girls as young as 12 have been seduced by older men in “spiritual marriage” , the mistreatment and abuse of children in these marriage and exposing these predators, but I’m not holding my breath. They could also highlight how difficult it is for these women to escape from these marriages, but since this isn’t a Catholic thing. They’ll just ignore it.
I was dismayed and shocked to hear the comments from Michael Sugar on accepting the Oscar. He made it sound like the Catholic Church has not taken massive measures to change things to make sure this can not happen again (as you detail). Pope Francis has apologized. People both outside the Church and those who left in response to the crisis would think from Mr Sugar’s remarks that the Catholic Church has done nothing to against this horrible crisis. I am a catechist and know the rules in place, how no adult is alone with children, how adults are trained and also the children. To just make a comment and ask Pope Francis to protect the children was awful.
I am not sure how it would even be possible for a child to be abused in a Catholic environment today. Any official Catholic location containing children is locked up so tight even the parents have to show ID to pick up their own kids. I have been in my new parish for two years and I have not yet seen the priest in the school answering the children’s questions. The poor children rarely see a priest except at least 50 feet away on the altar at Mass. A couple times a year they get to go to confession, where there are 6 to 8 stations in the open in the Church.
I think it is frankly disgusting to blame the Church for not doing enough to protect kids, even now, and at the same time to blame the Church for not letting the staff comfort hurting children through touch. Any volunteer or clergy person puts themselves at risk of lawsuit and even jail, in perpetuity, just by being documented as in the same room as children in a Catholic environment, let alone patting them on the back or hugging them.
Yeh right, Hollywood preaching. How about all the child abuse everyone is exposed to daily and almost at every moment the minute the idiot box is turned on? Save your loved ones and throw out the TV’s!
About once a week I come across an article online reporting the rape of a child, ages ranging from 3-15 years old by some Muslim asylum seeker in Europe. I wonder, where is THAT movie? Where is the outrage for these victims? What is being done now, today for them?
I have 3 grandsons attending our parish elementary school; the eldest is a 13 year old 7th grade altar boy. When he was to begin training, my son-in-law asked the Dir. of Religous Ed what policies were in place re the children’s safety. The DRE was flabbergasted at the query and said “You can’t be saying you have concerns re Fr. A (pastor) or Fr.B (assoc. pastor). Bottom line was nothing in place - same goes for visiting priests. My s-i-l told my grandson he was NEVER allowed to be alone w/a priest and to refuse and say “parents’ rules”. I volunteer at the school and took the nonsensical Virtus Training. NOTHING has changed since I attended elem school in the 50’s and was"felt up” in 7th/8th grade by Pastor, in my viewpoint. I have remained Catholic DESPITE the behavior as I believe it is the True Church - sadly heavily populated with hypocritical men.
This is the same nonsense the far right has been spewing for years on this issue. Blame the messenger i.e. the media, Hollywood, liberal Catholics, not-Catholic enough Catholics et al but don’t focus on the real horrific problems. Archbishop Niedstet, Bishop Finn, Cardinal George and Archbishop Myers are all recent examples of how the charter is not being followed. The removal of Finn and Niedstet were important moves by our Holy Father to get the attention of the slow to react American Bishops. I think it is good for the American Bishops to know people-including the media and Hollywood-are watching and will not put up with any further “pastoral missteps.”
“Catholic dioceses across the nation adhere to strict guidelines that require prompt reporting of credible allegations…”
Tell that to Rebecca Mayeux - with a straight face.
There is much work still to be done within the Catholic Church. I would suggest that Ms. Desmond google the name Archbishop Nienstedt before concluding that significant reform has been enacted.
You can enact all the reforms you want - but they will be meaningless if they are not enforced.
We need to stop defending the church and start protecting our kids. Call the numbers listed on the diocesan websites, and make sure the reporting mechanism is functional. And by all means, research the background of your priests.
Hollywood calling for an end to sexual crimes impieties and coverups?
Like they would have said in an old James Cagney movie dialogue, “Now, that’s rich!”
In our sex-saturated present-day culture, one can only wonder at what the rate of child-abuse must be like these days…. I shudder to think. With the phasing out of institutions for orphans and the severely disabled, would the incidence have increased?
Excellent points, Joan. What happened in the Catholic Church was inexcusable, but tragically the evidence points to widespread abuse of children in schools and especially their own homes. The abuse by Catholic priests was finally exposed because of litigation, because there was an authority structure to be held accountable and assets to pay compensation. What is being done to protect children where lawsuits are not feasible?
I understand your indignation, but the problem as I see it is exactly the same as it was in the “bad old days? in the each diocese is distinct and answerable only to itself, and the “safety” of the children depends on the diocesan policies being enforced in every school, by every teacher and every principal. That is why it is appropriate to call upon Pope Francis to take the lead. I taught in Catholic schools for over 10 years; I did not see any children being trained to resist predators, but I did see principals and priests who made personal judgment calls that were not in keeping with the policies of the diocese in reporting all forms of abuse, i.e. anything that could be reported to Child Protective Services. The public schools have very strict mandated reporter policies but can also get hung up it administrative tangles and miscommunication.
Hollywood and the Fourth Estate share the Award for their anti-Catholic bigotry.
“An Open Secret” documents the decades-long cover-up of the sexual abuse of child actors and cover-up in Hollywood. The New York Times barely gave it lip-service in a review from June 2015 that notes “further aggressive reporting is needed” yet here we are almost a year later while it struggles to find distribution.
“Pope Benedict and the Sexual Abuse Crisis” documents the exemplary work the Church has done in responding to and protecting children. If Michael Sugar were serious about protecting children, he (or his Father Larry Sugar?) would distribute “An Open Secret.”
“An Open Secret” is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s time for a long-overdue spotlight on Hollywood.
I agree completely, Ms. Desmond. There is no shortage of irony, to me, that one of the four producers of “Spotlight” has the last name ‘Faust’ (Blye Pagon Faust).
Kinda telling if you ask me…
Bravo, well said, Ms.Desmond! And it is important that we DO say this to all who continue to throw stones without knowing the current facts!
Virtually every institution that deals with children or other vulnerable populations has faced exactly the same issues. Obviously it’s worse when people identifying as Christians act this way, but it’s the same fallen nature & institutional cover-up as Penn State, the BBC, Boy Scouts, etc.
The Catholic Church just makes a better target for those with an agenda.
As someone who has experience with diocesan structures in locations especially impacted by clerical sexual abuse and their cover-up, I truly appreciated the producers comments. The fact that he pleaded with the Church to “restore the faith” was profoundly moving and encouraging to me.
I can tell you, despite all the measures listed in this article, how little is done. I have been through the training programs, such as VIRTUS and others. These initiatives are dated and I have serious criticisms of them.
Even so, while these measures certainly help to prevent future abuse, not nearly enough is done to resolve the abuse that has occurred and to ensure justice and healing. Many of the people responsible for the cover-up and shuffling around of priests remain in power. Many abusers, including bishops, have escaped without facing charges. In so many places, the Church prioritizes protecting it’s reputation, structures, and even wealth at the expense of providing just restitution and claiming full responsibility.
For instance, in my own diocese an auxiliary bishop who contributed to the cover-up of abuse remains a well-respected figure. He continues to do confirmations every year and remains an active figure in the diocese. In my opinion, this man should be in prison.
Cardinal Law of Boston was simply sent to Rome and never faced justice, as highlighted in the movie.
Even bishops and priests who have been defrocked or removed from office remain at large, still holding influence in the Church.
A phony sense of “respect for the office” still holds many back from criticizing the failure, and even crimes, of bishops and Church leaders.
While this is not a problem unique to the Church, an indeed other institutions have handled the situation even worse than the Church, this does not excuse or lessen the responsibility and gravity of reform.
So much still must be done to heal and move on from one of the worst chapters in Church history. The Church is still broken as a result of these scandals. While I remain loyal to the Church, and I respect the mindset that wants to protect the Church’s image from the often hostile and unfair media, I simply cannot agree with the tone of this article. The producer of Spotlight was right to call the Church to task. Rather than blustering that we’re “already doing enough”, we should agree that so much more must be done and work together to promote justice, healing, and ensure this never ever happens again.
Didn’t a bishop somewhere in Europe recently tell priests they do not have to report abuse? That made national news, and if that is true (but who knows these days), then yes, Papa Francis needs to do whatever he can to ensure the safety of the children. I taught at a Catholic school, and the first Diocesan meeting we had on sexual abuse was this and I quote “Just don’t touch the children. Don’t hug them, pat them on the back or touch them in any way” This was to protect US, so their would be no lawsuits.. I was outraged. We should be learning how to recognize children who are abused, make schools a safe place to tell if they are being hurt. We should be able to give a reassuring hug to children who need one. A pat on the back, a squeeze of the hand. We are humans, not robots. The church now does make it hard for anyone to volunteer to work with kids or help in schools. because of the cost of background checks for the laity, when the problem has been with the priests and bishops!! How many lawsuits have there been in the Catholic Church against the laity doing these things? Yes, there should be safeguards, but they are going overboard, with the wrong group of people. I, for one, am very happy this scandal came out, the church needs to be purged of these beasts who hurt children, are sexually attracted to children, and want to have sex with adolescents and teenagers. So yes, Papa Francis, we must protect the children. All children.
Bill Donohue had a statement relating to this recently. See “NO “SPOTLIGHT” ON HOLLYWOOD CHILD RAPE”
http://www.catholicleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/NO-SPOTLIGHT-ON-HOLLYWOOD-CHILD-RAPE-NR.pdf
Thank-you thank-you thank-you Joan Desmond for stating so succinctly the outrage I felt at the obvious ignorance or lack of honesty of Mr Sugar’s words to Pope Francis. Let’s be fair to the Church in the subject of today’s child abuse and the solutions which have been more utilized in the Catholic Church than anywhere else. The abuse and cover up was horrendous no doubt but the Catholic Church is the model for the rest of the world in trying to institute means to protect, report and rectify sexual abuse. Give credit where credit is do if your intent was not to just self-promote your film. Once again thank-you!
Thank you Joan. When I read what the producer said I thought some of the very things you wrote about in this article.
You appear to make the well intentioned but mistaken assumption that Hollywood cares about either the truth or fairness to the Catholic Church. By and large, Hollywood cares about money, personal aggrandizement, and peddling their decidedly liberal cultural agenda. Jesus’ Church is the enemy because she stands for none of those things. If you can advance your goals while attacking your enemy, that’s win-win in Hollywood.
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