Becoming Me Grappling with Spiritual Abuse and Trauma in the “DNA” of the Catholic Church
Episode 161
What if the reason spiritual abuse is so rampant yet unrecognised in the Church is because these kind of dynamics have always been part of the way the Church existed in the world?
In this deeply personal episode, I talk about my journey awakening to and grappling with the legacy of spiritual abuse and trauma within the Catholic Church. I share the story of how I was led in my interior journey into deconstructing my old Self, the way I related to my family of origin and eventually my understanding of and relationship with my Catholic faith. I share how learning to recognise trauma, harm and abuse led me to wrestle with the integrity of what I believed and how that faith is embodied in the world.
This reflection offers an honest, bold and nuanced discussion on the complex interplay between faith and coercion in the 2,000 years of the history of the Church and how that impacts the way we live our faith out today. How can we as Church continue to undergo conversion from the legacy of coercion and spiritual abuse that has made up such a huge part of our intergenerational, collective and systemic trauma within the Catholic Church? Join me in this thought-provoking sharing!
Watch this recording on YouTube.
CHAPTER MARKERS
00:00 Introduction and Personal Journey
01:14 Deconstructing Faith and Identity
03:52 Family of Origin and Trauma
09:10 Anger and Frustration with the Church
14:43 Historical Context of Church Coercion
19:21 Reconciling Faith and Church Authority
22:58 The Role of Conscience in Faith
24:15 Spiritual Abuse and Church Culture
46:03 Hope and Transformation in the Church
51:29 Conclusion
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