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	Church Was Wrong, and So Were Its Critics By John J. Rooney Philadelphia Inquirer July 20, 2011 http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/125871848.html 'Catholic priests are ordinary men who have had high expectations placed on them by the church, society, and themselves." This was a conclusion of a psychological study of priests commissioned by the Catholic Church's American bishops and conducted by Loyola University Chicago back in 1967. Using in-depth interviews and a battery of psychological tests, the researchers found that priests ran the gamut from healthy development to serious maladjustment. The most salient characteristic in differentiating them was their degree of psychosexual maturity. As a contributor to the report, I was disappointed at the bishops' reluctance to publish it for fear that it would diminish the public's opinion of priests. The "high expectations" placed on priests would later contribute to the public's shock and revulsion on learning that a number of them had sexually abused children. As is well known to Cardinal Justin Rigali, the outgoing head of the Philadelphia archdiocese, the church continues to struggle with these issues to this day. In assessing candidates for the seminary and other forms of religious life during the era of the Loyola study, I had found that a small share of applicants had serious deficiencies that made them unsuitable for the vocation. Others had issues involving self-concept, emotional maturity, sexual identity, and social relationships that raised concerns about their suitability. But such characteristics often improve with maturity and experience - particularly if their training fosters personal and social development. Church officials involved in the selection of seminarians at the time saw sexual immaturity and orientation as areas of concern, but they believed that psychological assessment should tread carefully in these areas and respect the candidates' privacy. Concerns about pedophilia never came up. When accusations that priests had abused minors first surfaced, as we now know, bishops and other ecclesiastical authorities exacerbated the scandal by attempting to cover it up. They thought they could address the problem quietly within the organization by transferring priests to other assignments and providing counseling and spiritual direction. They resented and resisted the efforts of victims, law enforcement, and the media to force them to take more appropriate actions. The church's long history of authoritarianism and clericalism hampered the ability of church officials and consultants to work together to address sexual abuse. Gradually, however, church authorities became more informed and introduced a number of programs to aid victims and prevent sexual abuse. In 2002, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops contracted the John Jay College of Criminal Justice to conduct a thorough study of sexual abuse by priests from 1950 to 2010. In taking a dispassionate look at this emotionally charged issue, the recently released report makes a valuable contribution to our understanding not only of the sexual-abuse scandal in the church, but also of the nature and extent of sexual abuse in society at large. Sexual abuse in the church has been well documented and well publicized, but the report documents similar abuse of minors among the clergy of other churches, educators, coaches, Boy Scout leaders, and others who work with young people. The report evaluates the effectiveness of the church's efforts to prevent abuse, deal with perpetrators, and assist victims. Its assessment of ecclesiastical authorities' mistakes and successes in doing so should help everyone who is interested in confronting what is clearly a widespread, national problem. The report indicates that the priests involved in sexually abusing minors were rarely pedophiles in the strict sense of the term. Rather, they were immature, lonely men who, burdened by the demands of the priesthood and finding themselves in positions of power over minors, lacked the personal integrity to resist abusing that power. They rationalized their deviant behavior in a number of ways, and they believed they would be able to escape detection and avoid punishment. The unconscionable behavior of a small segment of the priesthood has tarnished the image of the entire group. Based on my experience, though, I would stress that the vast majority of people who want to enter the seminary or pursue other religious callings sincerely hope to make a positive contribution to society. Surely we need sound clergymen, teachers, Scout leaders, and the like. Young people who want to help others rather than use them should be encouraged to aspire to these careers. They shouldn't be driven away by the false assumption that sexual abuse is endemic to these professions - or unaware that its prevention is essential. Contact: rooney@lasalle.edu
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