Scapegoating in a Time of Crisis

Author(s): Barry McMillan

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Source: The Furrow, Vol. 53, No. 5 (May, 2002), pp. 276-281
Published by: The Furrow
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in a Time

Scapegoating

of Crisis

Barry McMillan

In the heightened
public discourse on clerical child sexual abuse in
recent weeks,
there has been much
talk of 'getting to the truth'.
With regard to the reporting of cases, the clerical response, and the
question of how cases were or were not dealt with, this is clearly
both fundamental
and essential.
It is, along with the testimonies
of
the abused themselves,
one of the central pillars of the whole mat
ter. But it is not the whole story. A corollary of 'getting to the truth'
in terms of such information,
is an equal 'getting to the truth' in
terms of correctly identifying who or which people are responsible
on from that, why they abuse.
for the abuse - and following
Some recent media
reporting, both national and international,
and a statement
from the Vatican
have us
press office would
believe
that it is homosexuals
who are the source and cause of
child sexual abuse.
clerical
It is the purpose
of this article to
this reporting, outline
examine
the relevant medical
and psycho
this
and
to
evaluate
For
the
contention.
data,
logical
mis-identify
for clerical child sexual abuse at this crucial
people
responsible
be not only profoundly
but also very
juncture would
wrong
dangerous,

and

for

two

clear

reasons.

and does a grave injustice to

First, it unwarrantably
stigmatizes
an already
group of people who already
socially marginalized
endure widespread
such a mis-identification
prejudice.
Secondly,
will allow those who are the perpetrators
of clerical child sexual
abuse to remain undetected within
the Church and therefore in a
position
ANALYSIS
National

to abuse

again.

OF A PREVAILING
media

PREJUDICE

coverage

The BBC 'Correspondent'

Suing The Pope,1 and the
documentary,
edition of 'The Late Late Show'2 broadcast
the same week, for all
1. Broadcast
2. Broadcast

on RTE
on RTE

1 on 2 April
1 on 5 April

2002.
2002.

is a moral
and a Jubilee
Barry McMillan
theologian
Scholar
in the Department
of Theology
and Religious
Immaculate College,
of
Limerick.
Mary
University
276

Research
Studies,

IN A TIME OF CRISIS

SCAPEGOATING

of
that made
evidence
them valuable and laudable, also provided
and of the consciousness-shaping
power
journalistic
imprecision
of interviewees.
of presenting
recollections
uncontextualized
No criticism of the interviewees
is implied here - clearly they
asked of them, that is,
the programme-makers
simply did what
retell their experience
of events citing what was said at the time.
What
is under interrogation,
is how responsibly
the
however,
makers and interviewers
of these programmes
used and presented
some

of

this material.

For our enquiry here three clear examples

stand out:
use of file footage
?The
of
Sean
Fortune
(repeatedly)
speaking
about homosexuality.
erroneous and misplaced
?Retelling
Bishop Brendan Comiskey's
as
was a homosexual.
to
Fr
whether
Sean
Fortune
question
?The
No

on

emphasis
professional

the

phrase,

programme-maker

me
'... queered
is unaware

up'.
of a programme's

- how
capacity for shaping perceptions
language,
image and con
text create meaning
for the viewer. The three examples
cited, used
in the way they were, served to draw a direct relationship
between
and the current most notorious
clerical child sex
homosexuality
abuser.

In the print media

the News of the World3 turned the conflation
and paedophilia
into a lurid selling
homosexuality
point.
that the seminary
in Maynooth
had been a hotbed of
Alleging
homosexual
in the 1990s, it concluded
sexual activity
that what
was going on in parishes was directly attributable
to what it had
as going on in the seminary.
described
of

International

media

coverage

In parts of the American media,

the tone has evolved
from scape
A report by Joe Fitzgerald
in The
into scaremongering.
goating
Boston

Herald,^

quotes

an

anonymous

priest

thus:

The papers keep talking about pedophilia.

That's the wrong
... If I said all of
word. The real issue here is homosexuality
in this parish would be pretty
this in a homily I think people
it ... Believe
there are wonderful
cool with
me,
priests
this archdiocese,
celibate,
faithful,
throughout
loving the
Church and loving God's people.
to the priest quoted that any of the,
it has not occurred
Clearly,
this archdiocese,
'wonderful priests throughout
faithful,
celibate,
loving the Church and loving God's people', might also be homo
sexual.
3. Lead story in News
of the World,
'Priest fears gays
4. Joe Fitzgerald.
6 March
2002.
Herald,

7 April
2002.
in ranks pose

threat

to Church'.

The Boston

277

THE FURROW
Whilst
and scaremongering
scapegoating
might be thought to
be the territory of the tabloid, and thereby, in some sense to be
to note that the English
it was disturbing
Catholic
expected,
The
to
in
its
columns
editorials
and
Tablet, began
newsweekly,
and to report
report uncritically what was being said inAmerica,
so selectively,
as to create a connection
clerical child
between
sexual

light

torial
Boston

sexual

abuse,

One
on

the

citing
-

as

to

nature

homosexual

The Pilot
its

a disproportionate
mitted

and

compulsion,

report stated quite baldly,

celibacy,

source,

of

clerical

the newspaper
'...

asserted,

number
that

homosexuals.

'The crisis has also put the spot

the

arises.'6

abuse

...'s An

edi

the Archdiocese

it is precisely

of homosexuals
danger

sex

of

when

in a priesthood
However,

of

[there
when

is]

com
one

reads The Pilot

itself, rather than finding what The Tablet had
rather pointedly
that The Pilot had actu
reported, one discovers
ally gone to some lengths to draw clear distinctions.
The Pilot did raise questions
Whilst
about celibacy and about
the number of homosexuals
who might be priests, it also made a
is
point of explicitly
stating, 'We know that our sexual orientation
neither morally good nor evil.'7 The same edition also included an
interview with Dr Frederick
of the National
Berlin, Director
Institute
for the Study, Prevention
and Treatment
of Sexual
to still further
Trauma. The following
edition of The Pilot went
it had raised the previous week
lengths to clarify the matters
It was not the intention of The Pilot to call for changes
in
were
Church
while
those
Moreover,
policies.
questions
raised in relation to the sexual abuse of minors
by priests,
to the issue is more
their connection
than dubious. As the
extensive
interview with Dr Frederick Berlin
in last week's
not
is
in
related to
showed,
any
way
special
pedophilia
or celibacy.
are found
In fact, pedophiles
homosexuality
and heterosexual
and
individuals,
among both homosexual
both
and
married
individuals.8
among
single
All of this of course seemed something of an anomaly given The
Tablet's anti-homosexual
it had said were drawn
claims, claims
from and inspired by the reports appearing
in The Pilot.
Vatican Press Office
In terms of this recent upsurge
in the scapegoating
of homo
sexuals perhaps the most alarming development
was the statement
which came from Dr Joaquin Navarro-Valls,
Director of the Press
5.
6.
7.
8.

278

'Florida bishop
The Tablet,
16March
resigns over sex abuse of minor',
'Shock waves
from a sex abuse scandal',
The Tablet, 23 March
2002.
that must be faced', The Pilot,
15March
2002.
'Questions
'An editorial with a life of its own', The Pilot 22 March
2002.

2002

SCAPEGOATING

IN A TIME OF CRISIS

Office of the Holy See. In an interview he conducted with The

of clerical child sex
New York Times9 concerning
the occurrence
not
he
ual abuse in the United
stated
States,
only that gay men
to the priesthood
these
should not be admitted
'People with
inclinations just cannot be ordained' - but that there was also con
sideration being given to the idea that gay men who were already
declared
invalid and be
ordained
could have
their ordination
dismissed
from the priesthood.
CHALLENGING

THE

PREVAILING

PREJUDICE

basics
Psychological
or bi
Sexual
orientation
heterosexual
homosexual,
(whether
sexual) is one of four elements which make up sexual identity
the other three being biological
and
social
sex, gender
identity,
- the estab
sex role. The American
(APA)
Psychiatric Association
lished international
states with regard to
society of psychiatrists
sexual orientation:
homosexual
All major
mental
health organizations
have
professional
is not a mental
gone on record to affirm that homosexuality
In 1973 the American
disorder.
Association's
Psychiatric
Board of Trustees
from its official
removed homosexuality
and Statistical Manual
diagnostic manual, The Diagnostic
of
Mental Disorders,
Second Edition
(DSMII). The action was
a review of the scientific
taken following
literature and con
in the field. The experts found that
sultation with experts
a
does not meet the criteria to be considered
homosexuality
mental
illness.
The APA compiles
and produces
the Diagnostic
& Statistical
Manual
Mental
Disorders
in
its
fourth
edition
of
currently
- the
(DSM-IV)
internationally
recognized
listing of psychiatric
disorders.

The

purpose

of

is to provide

the DSM-IV

clear,

objec

of mental
tive descriptions
illnesses, based on scientific data. In it
as they are
is outlined
the list of sexual disorders - paraphilias,
termed,
technically
are
The essential features of a paraphilia
('sexual deviation')
intense

recurrent,

sexually

dren

or

other

non-consenting

sexual

fantasies,

arousing

or behaviors
that generally
involve
or
of
humiliation
oneself
suffering

persons.10

of note
for our discussion
paraphilia
to
the
DSM-IV
definition;
According
children
Most adults who sexually molest
... [PJedophilia
involves
have pedophilia

is paedophilia.

The

9.
'Gay men
10. American

should

are considered
sexual activity

not be priests' The Tablet,

9 March
2002.
Factsheet:
Association,
Pedophilia,

Psychiatric

urges,

non-human
subjects, the
or one's partner, or chil

October

to
by

1997.

279

THE FURROW
an adult with

a prepubescent
child. Some individuals prefer
usually 8- to 10-year-olds. Those attracted to males
older children.
Some prefer both
usually
prefer
slightly
sexes. While
some are sexually attracted only to children,
females,

others

are

also

sometimes

to adults."

attracted

It is of central importance to note that the description of paraphilias

occurs
on mental
in the discussion
Their difference
disorders.
therefore from sexual orientation
homosex
(whether heterosexual,
ual or bisexual)
not
but
is
of
of kind.
only
consequently,
degree,
to age in the APA definition
The reference
is of
of paedophilia
for in recent years a newer term has come to be used
significance,
to indicate the distinction
sexual
between
by some professionals
This term
children and that of adolescents.
abuse of prepubescent
- is not
or used, and many
yet widely
ephebophilia
recognized
use
term
and
the
traditional
still
professionals
non-professionals
to
of
and
the
sexual
abuse
describe
prepost-pubes
paedophilia
cent

children.

AND

RESPONSES

In the United
was

strong.

DEVELOPMENTS

States
Eugene

response
Kennedy,

to Dr Navarro-Valls's

statements

a now

priest

former

married

and

The Unhealed
and Human
Wound:
The Church
to
The
Blade:
commented
Sexuality,
Washington
of homosexual
have
served with
great
Plenty
priests
their vows, and have served their
integrity, never violated
are
To say homosexual
ordinations
generously.
people
invalid would be an easy way of making
scapegoats of these
people. But it would not solve the problem.12
and former
The Washington
Blade
also quoted psychotherapist
at Johns
Dr
Richard
of
the
of
Sipe
Department
Psychiatry
priest
Medical
School,
against
'Discriminating
Hopkins
University
to solve the problem',13
and Dr Jack
is not going
orientation
Association's
of the American
Chair
Drescher,
Psychiatric
on Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual
Committee
Issues, stated that it is
common for 'uneducated people' to link adult homosexuality
with
and
continued,
paedophilia,
its
It is unfortunate
that the Catholic
Church
compounds
issue
pedophile
priest problem by linking it to the unrelated
or not the Church should accept gay priests and
of whether
author

of

whether
11. Ibid.
12. Rhonda
Washington
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.

280

gay

priests

can

maintain

'Vatican
blames
Smith,
8 March
2002.
Blade,

gays

vows

for

of

priest

celibacy.14

sexual

abuse',

The

SCAPEGOATING

IN A TIME OF CRISIS

of Moral Theology
Professor
In recent weeks, Dr James Keenan,
atWeston
also commented:
Jesuit School of Theology,
The laity are insistent about Church leadership being respon
sible and they are particularly
impatient with any 'buck
...
Dr
the Vatican
[W]hen
spokesman,
passing'
tried to suggest that clergy who are gay are
Navarro-Valls,
the claim as evident
part of the problem, most dismissed
... [S]ome
such as Eugene
specialists,
scapegoating
author of The Changing
and Fr Donald Cozzens,
Kennedy
that
Face of the Priesthood,
have given ample commentary
a priest's
sexual and emotional maturity
and not his sexual
is their matter of concern. My own experience
orientation
this.15

confirms

'The view that the high

Finally, The Tablet has recently reported,
incidence of homosexuality
among priests is related to hebophilia
[sic] has received
press spokesman,
support from the Pope's
in that
This development
is noteworthy
Joaquin Navarro-Valls.'16
seem to be an attempt to create a new conflation
itwould
between
in a way that exactly replicates
and 'ephebophilia'
homosexuality
to conflate homosexuality
in the
the attempts
and 'paedophilia'
or psychological
is no valid medical
basis for doing
past. There
this.

A FAILING

PREJUDICE

distinction
between
and paraphilia
is
sexual orientation
a
in
correct
of
understanding
pivotal
developing
psycho-sexuality.
It should be clear by now that the relevant factor with regard to
but is rather, the para
child sexual abuse is not sexual orientation,
or
of
either
Those
therefore, who
philia
ephebophilia.
paedophilia
a
have
homosexual
orien
would accuse men, purely because
they
child sexual abuse are
for clerical
tation, of being responsible
or wilfully
dishonest.
either
simply
ignorant, misinformed,

The

Moreover,

this

erroneous

accusation

distracts

and

frustrates

the

on the development
from being properly
focused
of
emphasis
and
in
and dealing with
necessary
steps
responsible
preventing
clerical child sexual abuse now and in the future.

2002.
The Tablet,
'The Purge of Boston',
30 March
15. James Keenan,
and gays', The Tablet,
16. "Boston archdiocese's
paper sparks debate on celibacy
2002.
23 March

281