A new Pew Research Center survey finds that about nine-in-ten U.S. adults – including 95% of Catholics – have heard at least “a little” about recent reports of sexual abuse and misconduct by Catholic priests and bishops, including a clear majority who say they have heard “a lot.” And, overall, about eight-in-ten U.S. adults say the recent reports of sexual abuse and misconduct by Catholic priests and bishops reflect “ongoing problems that are still happening” in the church. Far fewer (12%) think the recent reports reflect “things that happened in the past and mostly don’t happen anymore.”   
 

 

On July 10 through July 24, Denise Buchanan and Tim Law traveled and spent time in Uganda. This was Tim's 13th trip to Uganda in 21 years and it was Denise's first trip.

Our goals were to meet and support Janet Aguti and her Totya Platform team; to observe the gathering of the 1000 bishops of Africa who came for a conference in Kampala, Uganda during the week of July 21; to meet with the Sisters of the Daughters of Mary-Uganda and the children they serve; and to continue to learn and understand the situation in Uganda and Sub Sahara Africa concerning sexual violence against children and young people and the role of the Catholic Church in this story.

With the help of ECA, a remarkable young Uganda survivor of family sexual abuse, Janet Aguti, has formed the Totya Platform that educates and provides support to survivors of sexual violence. ECA has assisted the Totya Platform in setting up a hotline for the public to call and report abuse, to support a media campaign via radio, TV and social media educating the public about sexual violence, and to provide counselling and other services to those requesting help.

On July 16, ECA and Totya Platform sponsored a community forum. The purpose was to offer the public the opportunity to hear from an expert panel on the issues surrounding sexual violence and to allow questions and interaction with the public. Denise was a panel member and she brought her perspective as a survivor of clergy sexual abuse.

 I was surprised by the numbers who attended, about 50, and the openness in which people were willing to talk about sexual abuse, where it occurs, and acknowledging that abuse occurs in the churches also.   I wondered if such a discussion was possible even 3 years ago in Uganda. Like the rest of the world this once taboo topic is now being discussed in the public square and we can thank all the activism especially from survivors around the world in recent years for this development.

The event was covered by the press and was part of the Uganda national news coverage that evening. Congratulations to Janet and her team.

During our visit Denise and I had some very revealing conversations with the sisters and some young people who report the near 100% occurrence of sexual abuse of children and young girls, occurring primarily in the homes and schools but the churches as well.

The political situation in Africa does not permit the direct challenge to the Church on this issue currently. The suppression by the church supported by the government and the willingness of the people to give the church the benefit of the doubt makes it very difficult for stories of abuse to come out or for the people to believe there is a systemic cover up by their beloved clergy. But this will change as groups like Janet’s are giving the people the opportunity to speak up.

On July 21, Denise, myself and my friend, Sr. Justine, attended a mass at the Kampala Cathedral, the largest and most important church in Uganda, where the 1000 bishops gathered and attended by the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni. Museveni like most African leaders is very corrupt and vicious towards anyone threatening his power. He has corrupted the Catholic clergy by giving them millions of dollars in gifts and favors. There is a strong symbiotic relationship between the Ugandan church hierarchy, the president and this government, each supporting and protecting the other’s interests.

Uganda is a key country to Catholicism in Africa. Africa is the fastest growing area of Catholicism in the world and Ugandan Catholics form the largest religious group in Uganda. A shrine called the Shrine of the Ugandan Martyrs in Kampala receives 1 to 3 million visitors on June 3^rd each year from all over Africa to worship the Feast of the Ugandan Martyrs, who were 22 young men killed for their faith by the king of Uganda in the 1880’s. It is a national holiday in Uganda and Museveni has poured millions of dollars to upgrade the shrine to capitalize on the religious tourism and further corrupting the church hierarchy who gladly receive his money. In the past 50 years three popes have visited this shrine revealing how important Uganda and Africa is to the Church.

Uganda and Africa present us with unique and daunting challenges but so we thought in the US, Europe, Australia not so long ago. The stories will come out, the secrets will be told, and the truth will have its day.

ECA will continue to support Janet and the Totya Platform and we hope to travel there again in the next year or two.