BishopAccountability.org
	Saint or Anti-Church? By Jaime Romo Healing and Spirituality April 27, 2010 http://www.jaimeromo.com/blog/ Dom Helder Camara, Bishop of Recife, and pioneer of Liberation Theology is often quoted, "If I may give food to the poor, they call me a saint. If I ask why the poor do not have food, they call me a communist." An educational parallel to Liberation Theology is called Critical Pedagogy. The Brazilian philosopher and educator Paolo Freire (1921- 1997) popularized this advocacy oriented questioning process (i.e., critical thinking, learning, and acting). Critical pedagogy emphasizes dialogue, praxis (action informed by social justice values), naming the world (e.g., dynamics of oppression), and a connection with participants' lived experiences. Freire and Camara knew that few human encounters are exempt from oppression because, by virtue of race, class, gender, and ethnicity, people tend to be victims and/or perpetrators of oppression. In light of religious authority sexual abuse, I believe Freire and Camara would pose this problem differently today. If I show compassion to survivors of religious authority sexual abuse, they call me a saint. If I ask why there are so many survivors of religious authority sexual abuse, they call me anti-Church. Critical pedagogy stimulates creativity, risk-taking, doubting, and questioning in a context of purposeful and transformative dialogue. It invites systemic analysis and questions simple thinking that a few 'bad people' did some bad things somewhere else or a long time ago. Critical thinking examines the ways systemic actions and inaction of the past impact all of us in the here and now. Critical pedagogy, therefore, requires a kind of revolution, although not as in the examples we generally think of in which some use force and violence to seize power. As sociologist Vicenzo Ruggiero describes, critical pedagogy embodies and promotes a "…revolutionary social movement seeking to activate and mobilize 'civil society'– a truly subversive project in a global economic system that seeks to place corporate interest above democratic law and redefine citizen power as consumer choice…. It is a revolution that seeks not only to liberate the oppressed, but the oppressors as well; an empowerment struggle lead by a vision of humanity that supports localism and diversity, and increase in power through genuine dialogue and community participation." I propose a way of thinking and acting that is rooted in a radical and systemic love. It promotes transformation through bringing forward the experiences of those who have been exploited or marginalized in a system, and challenging all to partnership as a means to change institutionalized oppression. How? The ways people think and interact together define an organization. Fundamental shifts, reform and/or transformation cannot take place in an organization until the unseen values, attitudes about power, privilege and knowledge of the existing structures are explored and clarified. This is important because even well meaning religious leaders and followers may, through a lack of critical evaluation of values, objectives, and actions, reinforce abusive practices. So, assessing blame to bishops and calling for resignations doesn't address the systemic problem or change the culture of power and secrecy and blind faith by followers that at best, perpetuated religious authority sexual abuse. Characterizing critical voices as anti-Church distracts attention from those who must become transparent and comply with legal and moral demands for documents which have been promised. Those will help everyone clarify the values, attitudes about power, privilege and knowledge of abuse that have perpetuated evil actions against innocent children and vulnerable adults. The recent challenge by Arizona lawmaker that Cardinal Mahony should stay out of the immigration debate is as wrong as the Arizona legislation. In either case, the adage that even a broken watch is right twice a day applies. Perhaps Cardinal Mahony could gain some credibility by turning over the documents that continue to be fought over, documents that will help survivors and supporters heal and move forward with clearer understanding and action to become safe and healing communities. And perhaps Arizona lawmakers can gain credibility by refusing to exploit fear and hatred and instead expose and overrule a fellow legislator's attempt to block a bill that that supports victims of sexual assault and violence. A deeper thinker might ask, why are there so many people sexually abused in this country, particularly by religious authorities? How does that happen? What are the impacts? Who benefits? Is this what we want? Our fragmented thinking has perpetuated exploitation of the weakest members of our society by religious authorities and other authorities: women, children, poor, immigrants, disabled and more. Instead of helping or targeting a few individuals, I suggest that it is time to examine the systems of power and misrepresentation.
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