Book Review: Child Sexual Abuse and the Catholic Church: Gender, Power and Organizational Culture

Abstract

The clerical sex abuse crisis that has unfolded over the past ten years has generated a considerable literature. Marie Keenan's study, based partly on research she undertook with nine clergy offenders, is published at a time when emotions continue to run high, especially in Ireland, and the effects of the crisis are still being felt. In her introduction Dr Keenan explains that her aim is to offer 'a model of performance that helps to conceptualize and understand, but never justify, the perplexing problem of child sexual abuse by Catholic Clergy.'Her book is divided into three sections. In the first section she surveys the problem, by summarizing data from different countries, making use of government reports and published studies. She shows quite clearly that the hierarchy knew this problem existed but consistently failed to learn from history.The title of the second chapter, 'Organized irresponsibility,' reveals her conclusion from the evidence she surveys. More than anything, this section is a plea for honesty and transparency, in place of the secrecy, hypocrisy and dishonesty which characterize the church's way of handling issues, particularly those that relate to sexuality and celibacy. She reviews the literature on clericalism, accountability in the church, sexual ethics and the seminary formation system, and concludes that the process of clerical socialization in this closed system has contributed to the problems related to clergy and sexuality, including clergy sexual abuse.Coming from a background in psychology, I found her second section, 'Theorizing Sexual Abuse,' particularly helpful. Keenan shows the limitations of focusing on the individual offender or single factor theories (pp. 93-94), and argues convincingly for the need to see clerical sexual abuse in the broader context of the church as an organization, with its own particular theology, clerical culture, and attitudes to sexuality and power. She notes that Pope Benedict appears to favour an explanation that blames the individual priest, and that he makes a connection with relativism (pp. 224-25). She