Citation

Beste J. J. Soc. Christ. Ethics 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Society of Christian Ethics, Publisher Georgetown University Press)

DOI

10.5840/jsce202111237

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A major oversight in Catholicism's clergy abuse crisis is its failure to examine how assumptions about children and norms concerning adult-children interactions contributed to child sexual abuse and bishops' systematic cover-up. An adequate response must include new practices based on a revised child-centered account of what constitutes justice for children. In this paper, I develop an account of justice drawing on four sources: 1) Margaret Farley's account of justice; 2) research findings from my ethnographic study observing and interviewing Catholic second graders about receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation; 3) the interdisciplinary field of childhood studies; and 4) the Catholic tradition.

Language: en