Leading expert: "It is wrong to say that with the abolition of celibacy there would be no cases abuse in the Catholic Church"

Hans Zollner to Infovaticana: "It is wrong to say that with the abolition of celibacy there would be no cases abuse in the Catholic Church"

The German Jesuit priest Hans Zollner, is one of the greatest experts about prevention of abuse of minors in the Catholic Church.

Zollner currently directs the Institute of Anthropology of the Gregorian University in Rome. Last March resigned by surprise of its functions as a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

Hans Zollner has a doctorate in theology, he is an authorized psychologist and psychotherapist and is particularly interested in human formation in the formation of seminarians and religious worldwide. On this issue and the cases of abuse within the Church, the Jesuit priest has spoken to InfoVaticana.

Q-Have you detected some behaviour or psychological patterns in the profile of abusers within the Church?

A-There is no single abuse profile and there may be many different reasons that lead a person to commit an abuse. We can say that there are behaviour and psychological patterns that are repeated in the profile of abusers within the Church. I would highlight four: the narcissistic abuser, the obsessive,  the insecure and the true paedophile in the sense of psychiatric definition.

Q-Does it necessary to make changes in the formation that priests receive in the seminars?

A-Training during the seminar is key. It is necessary that at that important stage of their lives not only acquire knowledge, but also competences. They must learn everything you need to lead a healthy life at all levels and develop their future priestly ministry well. Therefore, training in seminars must include paedagogy that does not foster intellectual learning, but also combine spiritual, pastoral and human formation. Combing this leads to developing a human maturity that is maintained throughout life. After the seminar does not end the training, it must be renewed permanently. There are pontifical documents such as the fundamentalis Institutionis Priestriois that underline that human formation must be the basis of everything else.

Sexual abuse is born above all from an abuse of power that someone takes advantage of.

Q-There are those who argue that if celibacy were not compulsory, abuses would be reduced. Do you agree with this approach?

A-is a question that asked me frequently, but celibacy is not a direct cause of abuse, which can become a risk factor is a poorly lived and not fully accepted ministry.

All scientific reports, including those that have been commissioned by non -ecclesiastical institutions, conclude that celibacy itself does not lead to abuse. Therefore, it is wrong to say that with the abolition of celibacy there would be no cases abuse in the Catholic Church. Sexual abuse is born above all from an abuse of power that someone takes advantage of. These reports conclude, and that is what I also maintain, that without solid human formation or a healthy, comprehensive and work work life, celibate life can lead to abuse. If the priest does not have a human, spiritual and work balance, the inner vacuum and not well integrated desires can lead him to commit abuse.

Scientific studies indicate that there cannot be a monocausal relationship that explains the relationship between homosexuality and abuses.

Q-At least in Spain, 80% of abuse cases are suffered by children or young men. Is there any kind of relationship between abuse and homosexuality?

A -This is also a frequently asked question. Scientific studies indicate that there is no monocausal relationship that can be considered to explain the relationship between homosexuality and abuse. The human person is complex and many factors influence his or her behaviour. Moreover, many abusers of boys do not identify themselves exclusively as homosexual. The 2011 US John Jay Report refers to them as "occasional abusers", i.e. they abused those closest to them, who at the time were overwhelmingly boys. But figures in recent years show that since there have been more girl altar servers and mixed schools there has been more abuse of girls. 

In addition, the complexity of the official doctrinal position of the Church that considers homosexuality is against the natural order, which sometimes makes people who are attracted to other people of the same sex and who want to follow the doctrine of the doctrine of the doctrine of the doctrine of the Church, look for a path that is apparently safe so as not to have to manage a sexuality that is perceived and lived conflictively, to finally realize that this does not solve the background issue.

Q-Do you think that financial compensation for abuse victims is necessary?

A- It is important, but from my experience, for some victims economic compensation is not the main desire. What many want, or the vast majority of victims of sexual abuse and other abuse, is that the representatives of the Church listen to them. They want to speak and express what happened to them, their anger and anxiety. They want some church representative in which they suffered so much damage, recognize the pain and do everything humanly as possible to repair that damage. For them it is important that this person is able to listen with his heart and keep his eyes in the eyes of someone whose life has been destroyed and whose faith has been damaged.

On the way to conciliation and reconciliation the most important factor for some abuse survivors is to find an open ear and heart. The rest, such as economic compensation, therapy or spiritual accompaniment, are also important.

Abusers must also be judged by the canonical procedure

Q-What treatment should the church give to those priests or religious who have committed abuses?

A- For a part, you must work together with the civil authorities that must judge them according to civil and criminal law. On the other hand, abusers must also be judged by the canonical procedure. Those priests or religious who have committed abuses against children, as Pope Francis has said in some instances, should not return to their ministry or have contact with minors. In any case, they should be helped to find a significant way of life that does not endanger others. They must be supervised, including psychological evaluation, therapy and spiritual accompaniment.

The Church must have the will to do what is necessary to ensure that the authors of abuse and their cover -ups are punished fairly and so that new abuses are avoided in the future.

Q-What would you recommend to a person who has suffered abuse by people linked to the Church so that their faith does not crack?

A-Abuse from clergy members may have very serious consequences on a person's faith. Abuse can also be spiritual and can lead to the victim to consider his relationship with God and with the Church.

I think that victims and survivors must surround themselves from those who listen and understand them, people seeking justice and who can contact professionals from different areas that can help them.

Q-Why did you abandon the Pontifical Commission for Child Protection?

A-Last March my resignation of the Pontifical Commission for the protection of minors was accepted after being a member for 9 years. In recent years, he had observed that there were issues that needed urgent attention, particularly in the areas of responsibility, accounts and transparency. In short, a series of structural and practical issues that I explained in a statement and that led me to separate myself from the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and to focus on my role as a consultant of the Diocese of Rome and as director of the Institute of Anthropology (IADC) of the Gregorian University.

Q-Does an institution or diocese that believe it is doing well?

A-Examples throughout the world of institutions, dioceses and congregations that have taken safeguarding seriously and work to prevent situations of abuse from giving and for promoting safe environments. In Latin America and Spain there are also examples of religious dioceses and congregations that are demonstrating that when there is the will and determination to commit to safechading, it works and works well.

In fact, some of these organizations send their staff to train the programs offered by the Institute of Anthropology of Gregoriana (IADC https://iadc.unigre.it/). We offer residential programs such as the 5 -month Safaguarding diploma, also in Spanish, and a two -year degree in English. We also offer a mixed learning program (Blended) online and face -to -face that is available in different languages.

Q-How do you think the cases of Bolivia, Barcelona and Rupnik affect the credibility of the Jesuits?

A-These cases have indeed had an impact on the Society of Jesus and on the credibility of the Order, as happens in any case of abuse. I noticed it already in 2010 when the first news broke out in Germany in a Jesuit school in Berlin and led to the great flood of news about the abuses.

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