IT IS ironic that in a world where almost everything is sexualized, sexual abuse is still an issue. Many are unaware of the hidden variable: Power. The French philosopher Michel Foucault theorized that there is an intricate connection between sex and power. For him, sex is a “great conduit of power.” Understanding the nature and structure of power uncovers what is at play in the so many sexualized discourses of society.
Power for Foucault is not binary. It is not located in a fixed place. It is fluid and runs from one institution to another. For example, it is only partly true to say that the Catholic Church is powerful. It does have power over its flock. But it is sometimes powerless before media or even public opinion. They can shape or destroy the image of the Church.
The ongoing issue on sexual abuse in the Church is not just about sex. The word “sexual” describes the word “abuse.” From the viewpoint of the victims it is not just an issue of abuse but the one abusing. So we miss the point if we overly focus on sex. Notice why there is so much emphasis on minors and women. There are not many investigations, if any, on priests getting into an illicit affair with adult men or women. When was the last sensational issue of a priest or pastor having an “adult kabit” and was it even an issue of abuse?
There is another interesting point: sexual abuse is not a phenomenon exclusive to the Catholic Church. Yet media does not invest so much time and effort investigating and reporting abuses committed in other quarters: religious or non-religious. A priest accused of sexual harassment would get more attention in public compared to a manager of a call center. Apparently, the status and social privilege of the accused is a big factor in any issue.
So what is this all about? While there is still a bias that the Catholic Church is powerful, this reality has changed since the last half of the century. Here is a good formula for interpretation: the Church is accused of abusing its power. In doing this, i.e. by subjecting the Church to the juridical structure of society, society through the State, subjects the Church to its power. Truth be told, the Church as an institution has long been the target of the state’s regulative power. Unfortunately, it is an elusive target. Basically, secular society is asserting its power over everything. In the process sex is an important instrument of its regulatory thrust.
At the risk of oversimplification, there is an ongoing attempt, unconscious it may be to emasculate the influence of the Church in society. Because secular forces cannot do so in philosophical or rational-discursive terms, then it pursues a different path. It takes the opportunity of using sexual abuses as a means to push back the Church’s influence. Again, it may sound simplistic but discrediting credibility or tarnishing a reputation is always a good strategy to end all arguments and discussions.
I am not saying that the abuses are not true. But we cannot rule out the fact that all of these involve power play. In the greater scheme of things, this is not just about Church authority abusing its power. It is also about society, growingly secular, contesting a Church that still possesses an amount of influence over people.
Within the Church itself there is also power play going on. Labels they say do not help. We cannot but use labels: progressives and conservatives. The former Nuncio to the US, Archbishop Vigano is for some an honest and conscientious whistle blower. But is he? Are we sure about that? Let us reserve this for another discussion.