Church needs to address crises with transparency, accountability

By Matters India Reporter

Chennai, October 20, 2019: Transparency and accountability are necessary while addressing crises in the church, stressed the Association of Moral Theologians of India (AMTI) in its latest meeting.

The recent crisis in the Church, especially due to the abuse scandal, according to many is the biggest in the history of the Church. Some others would say that it should be considered at least as the biggest crisis since Reformation. Although it began as an issue in the Western countries, it is becoming clear that no part of the world is immune to this crisis, said Father Shaji George Kochuthara, president of AMTI.

In its 28th annual meeting of AMTI, the topic was “Crisis in the Church: Ethical Perspectives.”

As many as 67 members attended the October 18-20 conference at Joe Beach Family Resort Conference Centre, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu.

“In India also we find that cases of abuse of both minors and women are on the increase. The meeting of cardinals, bishops and experts that the Pope convened in the Vatican in February 2019 shows the urgency of the issue,” said Father Kochuthara.

Besides the serious issues raised by the abuse scandal itself, it also raises concerns about the administrative system and structure of the Church and ecclesial life. Many have pointed out that a system that lacks transparency and accountability, clericalism, and abuse power are the real reasons behind the abuse scandal. There is also the need of reconsidering some of the traditional theological issues and developing a theology for the present times, he added.

The 2019 annual meeting of AMTI reflected on the crises of the Church from an ethical point view, Father Charles Irudayam, an AMTI member, told Matters India.

Though conference focused on the ethical implications of sexual abuse, it considered the lack of transparency and accountability in general in the Church, added Father Irudayam, former executive secretary of the Justice, Peace and Development Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.

Jesuit Father Michale Amaladoss, a noted professor theology and writer addressed the gathering as the keynote speaker.

Several experts presented researched papers on abuse of women and children in the Indian society from psychological perspectives, clericalism and abuse of power, transparency and accountability in Church administration, theology of justice and scandal, ethics in pastoral ministry, financial administration in the church, sexual and a theology of sexuality, sexual abuse scandal and Its implications for seminary formation, sexual abuse: civil laws in India: POCSO ACT (2012), and the sexual harassment of women at the workplace (prevention, prohibition and redressal) Act, 2013.