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A man sits alone inside a Catholic church praying. (photo: Tiwiplusk / Shutterstock)

COMMENTARY: The Church really needs to do some deep thinking on how it should respond.

By Janet E. Smith, National Catholic Register, January 27, 2021

Janet E. Smith Janet E. Smith, Ph.D., is a retired professor of moral theology.

 

Janet E. SmithIf you had a choice between losing a limb or being psychologically traumatized your whole life, which would you choose?

By “psychologically traumatized,” I mean suffering debilitating lifetime depression and anxiety, having difficulty holding onto a job, not being able to enter into satisfying personal and intimate relationships, unshakeable (and unwarranted) self-blame and even being rejected by family who don’t understand consequent behavior.

Many sex abuse victims struggle with substance abuse throughout their lives, undergo repeated hospitalization, attempt or commit suicide, and many without anyone knowing why they were so troubled. Many of them live in poverty or near poverty their whole lives.  …