Shining light ....on Spotlight

On Church Abuse, Truth and Patterns.

‘If it takes a village to raise a child

It also takes a village to abuse one’

(Spotlight, The Movie, 2015)

I was never sure why Spotlight became one of my favourite films. It was before I began my own inner awakening and unravelling to see, feel, and deal with the abuse I had suffered, its impacts and find safety, freedom, and life. At the time of its release I listened to film podcasts (Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode) on long dog walks, and as a result I began a short lived interest in watching decent movies, ones that told stories, ones that didnt make it to blockbuster cinemas, ones that didnt require sequels, prequels or origin stories, and then I realised I was watching films about truth and freedom.

12 Years a Slave. The Color Purple. Selma. On the Basis of Sex. (To name but 4)

But Spotlight.

I’ll not do spoilers, at least try not to.

But it's the story of how The Boston Globe newspaper, finally, spoke the truth about the hidden abuse of the Catholic Church Priests in Boston., a city of over 1200 catholic priests at the time, a city in which the church dominated, running schools, facilities, care homes, play groups, and was, as big an institution in the city as the press itself. A picture created when 4 of the 5 investigative team grew up catholic, 2 going to the catholic schools themselves. A city where the new head of the Globes first public meeting is with the head of the Church in the diocese. A head of the diocese who appeals to ‘unity’ , ‘working togther’ and a ‘city that flourishes when its great institutions work together’ . To which the Manager editor disputes.

Yet it wasnt so easy. Survivors organisations and lawyers defending the church had been in the battle for years, trying to get justice on an individual case by case basis, and have these settled, mostly out of court.

One lawyer hears and submits the many cases, A defence lawyer once wrote to the Globe with 20 names of 20 priests 20 years previously.

Anger rises in the Halls of the editorial team.

Despair rises in the Surviviors group, as planes hit the two towers and theres a 2 month delay in the investigations in 2001.

Papers are filed, Judgements are made.

And yet.

The patterns are the same.

Catholic priests moved around ministerial posts quicker than they would ordinarily have done so - with official designations like ‘sick leave’ in the directories. Priests and ministers moving around positions without reaching their term. Leaving trails of ‘divisive’ character in their wake.

Back to the film….

The church paid for the equivalent of NDA’s.

More than 3 years would pass for any legal recompense be made, kids felt shame, guilt, and were silenced. They were groomed.

Because there was no recompense for the priests, and they were pillars of society - it was their voice that was heard. The church ran the schools remember.

When the investigative team met with priests. They didnt deny what they had done. One said that ‘Yes I fooled around with boys…..but it wasnt for pleasure’

Thats the thing.

Abusers dont always deny what they did. They give it back clothed in incredulity. They tell a half truth. They admit it in plain sight.

The Patterns are all the same.

That somehow state of deference,

A priest coudnt’t be abusive.

A minister couldnt be abusive.

For me….

A Mother couldnt be abusive.

Because she was also a minister.

Oh no. That coudnt’t be the case.

I saw all the same patterns.

Yet.

In the film.

This time I noticed the anger in the woman.

Really just two women in this film.

It was the woman who stood next to her brother.

Her brother ,the former priest, admitted in plain sight that he abused, molested boys.

And she was angry at the papers for being there.

Not angry at her brother for being abusive.

Denial. Protection. Fear.

So much hatred etched in her face, from decades of anger. Being lied to maybe. She may have had to protect him before. Had to cover things up before.

Couldnt face the truth.

Strange that the priest in this cases justification was that he was also abused as a child. As if that makes it ok.

No one wins with abuse. But the truth validates.

No one wins, yet, every time im cheering on each one of the victims in the film.

Theres a thing in safeguarding about risk.

Calculating the risk.

And thats what abusers in the main do.

Calculate, can they get away with it.

Often if theres no accountability. If theres too much deference. If theres too many myths that surround a person or their role ( Minister, Mother, Important person) and the congregants, the family, the children, the complainants, are scapegoated as liars, weak, angry, troublemakers, whistleblowers, or worse still ‘jealous’ or ‘going to destroy someones ministry’ …. all the usual. Create that situation, and an abuser can get away with it.

If they know they can keep hold of the narrative, if they know theres no accountability. They can continue in plain sight, hiding victims in solitude. Separating. Ensuring people dont tell their stories. with each other.

Until they do.

(But then, the abuser accuses the shared story and collaboration as bullying, gossiping or collusion.. strange that)

So they play the risk game. Can they get away with it. And if they’re a minister, and female. They are likely to. Theres no comeback, no precedent, and no one usually brave enough to challenge that reality.

Spotlight, highlighted the systematic failure of the Catholic Church. Yet, because it had systems it could be investigated. It was about Male priests. Yet, Abuse in churches is not just Catholic Churches, and it is not just men either. Most likely, but not always.

A few thoughts on a film I watched yesterday….and then led safeguarding training this morning.

Shining the light….Spotlight.

Photo by Matthew Menendez on Unsplash