Healing the Wounds of Sexual Abuse in the Church - Dr Theresa Burke

The sexual abuse crisis has polarised the Church, and injured us all. Those who have survived clerical and other sexual abuse need the Church's healing power, but they are often alienated and unwelcome because they are seen as troublemakers. Innocent people scandalised by the crisis also need the Church's healing power, but they are sometimes unable to forgive the victims for coming forward. So how can we bridge this apparently unbridgeable gap? This presentation will examine the impact of sexual abuse on the individual, the impact of trauma, and how we as a Church - all of us - can begin to help restore to victims their full dignity in Christ. It will also describe Grief to Grace, a new sensory-based model for healing sexual abuse that follows the Sorrowful Mysteries."