Home · Faith · Sep 15 archive
Catholic Church Urged to Rethink Communication in Abuse Cases
Confirmed
In Short: A newly released book calls for the Catholic Church to prioritize clear and effective communication in handling clergy sexual abuse crises, complementing existing safeguarding policies.
A newly released book is urging the Catholic Church to rethink how it communicates during clergy sexual abuse crises, according to reports from Detroitcatholic and Ewtnnews.
The book's author, Paulina Guzik, argues that communication is not a cosmetic addition to safeguarding but must be treated as a central part of the Church's response from the very beginning, as she outlined during a press presentation in Rome on September 10.
Guzik, who is the international editor for OSV News and a professor of media studies and communications at the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków, Poland, emphasizes the need for clear guidance on what to communicate, how to communicate it, and when to do so in cases of sexual abuse.
The book, titled 'Truth Heals: Clergy Sexual Abuse and the Catholic Church's Response,' provides a practical framework for Church leaders, communicators, and journalists working to rebuild trust in the wake of abuse and institutional failure, with principles such as putting victims first, embracing transparency, and listening carefully to survivors.
What's confirmed
- A newly released book is urging the Catholic Church to rethink how it communicates during clergy sexual abuse crises, according to reports from Detroitcatholic and Ewtnnews.
- The book's author, Paulina Guzik, argues that communication is not a cosmetic addition to safeguarding but must be treated as a central part of the Church's response from the very beginning, as she outlined during a press presentation in Rome on September 10.
- Guzik, who is the international editor for OSV News and a professor of media studies and communications at the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków, Poland, emphasizes the need for clear guidance on what to communicate, how to communicate it, and when to do so in cases of sexual abuse.
- The book, titled 'Truth Heals: Clergy Sexual Abuse and the Catholic Church's Response,' provides a practical framework for Church leaders, communicators, and journalists working to rebuild trust in the wake of abuse and institutional failure, with principles such as putting victims first, embracing transparency, and listening carefully to survivors.
What's still developing
- "It's a book for decision-makers in the Church. To be able to hand it to the bishop of Rome as a starting point -- that made me tremendously happy," Guzik told OSV News.
- "The way I started this research was really simple -- I saw my own Church, in Poland, struggling with the answer to the abuse crisis -- at the time almost two decades after the iconic 2002 Spotlight investigation in the U.S.," Guzik told OSV News.
- Alazraki got a standing ovation from her fellow journalists in Sala Stampa, the Vatican press room, after she told the bishops to stop "playing the ostrich” and transparently communicate the abuse scandal.
- "This book should be required reading not only for bishops, priests and Catholic communications professionals, but for all committed to justice and healing for survivors of clergy sexual abuse," said Daniels.
- "The first duty of a Church that calls itself a mother is to hear those who were harmed, believe the seriousness of their suffering, and respond with compassion, justice, and sustained care." During the Sept.
- "After so many years of dealing with the topic on many different levels in the Church, the new pontificate of Pope Leo XIV is a perfect time to reinforce this branch of crisis management, and a crucial one -- communications," Guzik emphasized after the audience with Pope Leo.
- The group’s 95th annual educational conference, held in Phoenix Sept. 10–12, emphasized the early Church Fathers, whose influence was strongest in the East, in order to “promote a more comprehensive view and more respect for the mysteries of human health and disease,” said conference chair Dr. Mary Keen-Kirchoff.
- The Catholic Medical Association at its 95th annual educational conference held in Phoenix Sept.