After abuse in the Catholic Church: subject church taxes to conditions

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A bishop is an episkopos, an overseer. Someone who watches and doesn’t look away. A shepherd protects his flock from wolves. But as in other countries, the Swiss bishops have failed enormously. They looked the other way for decades when children were abused. They believed the perpetrators, not the victims. Even today, they continue to cover up and not adhere to their own guidelines on how to proceed with reports of suspicious activity.

It is not enough that the Bishop of Chur, Joseph Bonnemain, promises cultural change as a mantra. A cultural change does not just happen from heaven. Cultural change is about making decisions that hurt.

It is time for the bishops to call for outside help. The historical research by the University of Zurich is an important first step. More should follow. Prevention experts are needed throughout Switzerland to ensure that protection concepts are effective without compromise. Outside lawyers are needed to conduct independent disciplinary proceedings and help remove problematic priests from office. And politics is necessary to increase the pressure on Rome. Because the biggest obstacle to church reform is still the Pope himself.

The most effective leverage is money. The Catholic Church in Switzerland generates one billion francs a year through church taxes and state contributions. This means that many good things are happening that benefit society as a whole. Nevertheless, in the future the state should attach more conditions to church taxes and subsidies. For example, prevention and personnel management for which the bishops should not be responsible. As pastors, bishops have failed across the board.

Until March, Raphael Rauch was editor-in-chief of the church portal kath.ch.

Source:Blick