Theology of Childhood: treating
children as Jesus did
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| First Communicants await Pope Francis' arrival in sacred Heart Church, Rakowski, Bulgaria, 6 May 2019 (AFP) |
Sr Nuala Kenny presents the first in a 4-part webinar series
hosted by the International Union of Superiors General rooting the safeguarding
of children in Jesus’s own behavior toward children.
By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp
Covid-19 has forced everyone to understand what it means to
be vulnerable. Thus Sr Nuala Kenny began her presentation of the first
Safeguarding Webinar organized by the International Union of Superiors General
(UISG) in collaboration with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of
Minors (PCPM), the Centre for Child Protection of the Gregorian University and
the Telefono Azzurro hotline in Italy. The title for Sr Nuala’s presentation
was “Safeguarding children, youth and vulnerable adults and the need for a
consistent theology of childhood”. Almost 800 people from all over the world
participated in the webinar. Many others watched the live-streamed version on
the UISG and PCPM web sites.
It begins with culture
For any safeguarding to be effective, Sr Nuala says that a
“culture of safeguarding” is necessary, otherwise “policies and protocols are
not effective”. She continued, saying children in many parts of the world are
immersed in a culture that contributes to their harm. They are objects of
abuse, child pornography, child labor, trafficking, forced to be soldiers, etc.
A culture within the Church itself has “continually failed to address
underlying beliefs and practices” that fosters abuse and denial, and the
consistent, inappropriate response of leadership for centuries
Vulnerability and systemic issues
Any relationship in which another person is trusted are
“open to the possibility of loss and abuse”, Sr Nuala notes. Childhood is the
period in which the human person learns how to defend his or her own
vulnerability. Those who experience abuse as children are therefore
particularly devastated. For a child to be abused, certain conditions need to
be in place, Sr Nuala explained. These conditions create the ground for the
person to abuse a child, and the ground in which the child’s normal protective
mechanisms are overcome. When a priest is the abuser, “double damage” is done,
Sr Nuala said. Some people say “soul murder” takes place, she said.
Conversion in the family
The conversion that needs to take place is a process in
which long-standing practices that do not reflect Jesus’s example need to
identified and transformed, Sr Nuala said. It begins in the family, which is
the primary place of nurture and protection for children. Any theology of
childhood needs to therefore root out the harmful aspects of our “domestic
churches”, she said: that children are the purpose of marriage, the having a
child proves male virility, that boys are more desirable in the family than
girls, that faith is optional, etc.
Conversion in the Church
Within the Body of Christ, this conversion means that we
understand what unites us rather than divide people into special categories or
statuses. It also requires “meaningful dialogue”, Sr Nuala said. “We are called
to speak out against injustice”, especially when the vulnerable are targeted.
Not speaking out allows the abuse to continue. Ideas about morality need to be
converted from talk about sinful behavior that can easily be forgiven in
confession to understanding the harm that sinful actions do to others. Lastly,
Sr Nuala illustrated the prevalent idea that pro-life activity is reduced to
targeting sexual behavior and abortion. The pro-life understanding, she said,
needs to be enlarged to embrace the protection of anyone, especially the
vulnerable, from any type of harm.
Treating children as Jesus treated them
Sr Nuala believes that the conversion required to provide a
child-friendly culture is that of rooting ourselves “in Jesus and His loving
care and touch toward children”. Nuala emphasized the care that Jesus had for
children. He cured both boys and girls and rebuked His disciples when they
wanted to keep them from drawing near to Him. It was a child, she reminded
those participating, who provided the loaves and fish that Jesus multiplied and
fed the crowd (see Jn 6: 9). Jesus also displayed “righteous indignation” and
had harsh words to say to those who harm children (see Mt 18:5-8).
The bottom line, Sr Nuala said in conclusion, is “that we in
Jesus’s Church must provide what He would provide for His children”.
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