杏MAP导航

By Devin Watkins

A bird鈥檚 nest can carry a powerful message: 鈥淎ll children deserve a safe and nurturing environment in which to grow.鈥�

That simple, yet important, aim lies at the heart of a global Symposium entitled 鈥�.鈥�

The 3-day, online event kicks off Thursday, and is chaired by Jennifer Wortham, Dr.PH with Harvard University. Beginning on 8 April, it marks what she hopes will someday become the World Day for Child Sexual Abuse Prevention, Healing, and Justice, a proposal which she is launching at the United Nations in September.

Dr. Wortham鈥攚hose own family was deeply wounded by the pain of clerical sexual abuse鈥攕poke to Vatican News about the Symposium鈥檚 goals, and about how God turned her own family鈥檚 suffering into a path of healing for others.

Faith and healing from abuse

鈥淭he conference is addressing child sexual abuse in all faith communities, and in the broader community at large,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e do have several segments that are dedicated to presentations in a faith-setting.鈥�

Besides a wide range of healthcare professionals and child abuse prevention experts, the event also sees two Cardinals taking part.

Cardinal Seán O'Malley, President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors鈥攖he Vatican office sponsoring the Symposium鈥攑rovides an opening blessing. Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, is speaking about how faith and faith leaders can help heal child sexual abuse.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a conference that is focused overall on the issue of child sexual abuse and the engagement of the faith community, and helping to prevent and heal victims who have been impacted by child sexual abuse,鈥� said Dr. Wortham. 鈥淲hether it be at home, in a school, or through a scouting organization or a day camp, we鈥檙e looking at ways that faith leaders can be better engaged in the process of healing and prevention.鈥�

Interfaith partnership

The Symposium, as Dr. Wortham points out, is not just focused on abuse in the Catholic Church, though various Catholic organizations are sponsoring it, including The Catholic Project with Catholic University of America and the Center for Child Protection at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

Child sexual abuse is a global phenomenon, and a host of faith-based groups have expressed their support, said Dr. Wortham. The Interfaith Alliance, Arigatou International, the New York Board of Rabbis, Islamic Relief USA, the World Council of Churches, and several abuse survivor networks have all partnered up, just to name a few.

Over 70 speakers from around the globe are addressing over 1,300 registered participants.

Rev. Dr. Denis Mukwege, a 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is offering the keynote address, sharing his wisdom and work to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.

Dr. Wortham called it 鈥渁n esteemed group鈥� of 鈥渧ery dedicated people who are working to improve the lives, and health and welfare, of victims of child sexual abuse.鈥�

Trauma of child sexual abuse

Dr. Wortham, the executive director of the Initiative on Health, Religion, and Spirituality at Harvard University, is no disinterested scholar when it comes to child sexual abuse.

Two of her own brothers were abused by their parish priest for a period of 3 or 4 years when they were around 10-years-old.

鈥淚t was a very traumatic experience for my family,鈥� she recalls, 鈥渂ecause we were devoutly Catholic.鈥�

Her grandfather had helped build the parish church and was its treasurer. Her grandmother sewed altar cloths for the same priest and cooked him dinner. 鈥淪o, the priest was very close, I would say, an extended member of our family,鈥� said Dr. Wortham.

When her brothers revealed the abuse in the 1990s, it shook the family to the core. 鈥淲e struggled, and my brothers struggled for many, many years with the effects of the abuse. And, unfortunately, when we reported it to the Church the experience was very unpleasant.鈥�

Dr. Wortham, as well as her mother, left the Church, and she went in search of healing in various faith communities. She even spent 2 years, part-time, in an ashram, a Buddhist monastery.

Coming home

Yet, in 2015, Dr. Wortham felt drawn to visit a church, in part to feel close to her grandmother who had passed away.

鈥淚 went to a Catholic church close to my home,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淎nd while I was there I had a really strong inspiration to forgive the people that were involved in my situation, and to let go of that trauma.鈥�

That experience, she said, left her with a sense of peace and a desire to turn her pain into service.

What about the bird鈥檚 nest?

So, where does the bird鈥檚 nest she presented to 杏MAP导航 Francis fit in?

A few months after returning to the Church, Dr. Wortham was doing some spring cleaning around the house when she discovered two bird nests and felt a strong desire to hand one to the 杏MAP导航.

She then wrote a letter to him and received a reply within 36 hours, inviting her to meet him during a Wednesday General Audience.

She attended the weekly event on 28 December 2016, and fulfilled her dream when she handed 杏MAP导航 Francis the nest she had attached to a pedestal of petrified wood (see top picture).

鈥淥n a personal level, I felt I really wanted to look in his eyes and see the commitment I had been hearing about his desire to fix this problem in the Church,鈥� Dr. Wortham said. 鈥淲hen I met with him, I did see that he was deeply committed to solving this problem.鈥�

Seeking a World Day

After that encounter, Dr. Wortham felt called to share with survivors of sexual abuse and their families her experience that 鈥渢he Church really does care and is working hard to address this issue.鈥�

She also met with Cardinal O鈥橫alley, whom she said supported her desire to establish a .

鈥淭he feeling I got was that it was not really just up to the Catholic Church to establish this day. If it was going to be a day for all survivors of abuse then we needed to work together with other nations and other faith leaders to establish it.鈥�

Besides bringing together people from across the globe to address the topic of child sexual abuse, this week鈥檚 Symposium which Dr. Wortham is chairing also serves as a marquee event for the launch of what could become a World Day.

And 8 April, said Dr. Wortham, also happens to be her brother Patrick鈥檚 birthday.