Forgiveness: Healing in Adult Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Catholic Priests
Location
Room 1049
Format Type
Paper
Start Date
January 2011
End Date
January 2011
Abstract
This paper examines the sexual abuse of children by priests in the American Roman Catholic Church. Twenty self-identified male survivors of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests were interviewed. Findings revealed that all participants healed through punitive forgiveness. Others moved into inclusive forgiveness, reframing their priest abuser as victim of a patriarchal hierarchy. Some achieved unconditional reconciliatory forgiveness. These findings infer a forum to aid the healing process
Forgiveness: Healing in Adult Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Catholic Priests
Room 1049
This paper examines the sexual abuse of children by priests in the American Roman Catholic Church. Twenty self-identified male survivors of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests were interviewed. Findings revealed that all participants healed through punitive forgiveness. Others moved into inclusive forgiveness, reframing their priest abuser as victim of a patriarchal hierarchy. Some achieved unconditional reconciliatory forgiveness. These findings infer a forum to aid the healing process
Comments
Breakout Session E