Seventy Times Seven: Abuse, Exclusion, and forgiving the Church

James Bretzke, S.J., John Carroll University
James Carroll, Author
Jeannine Hill Fletcher, Fordham University
Laurel Marshall Potter, Boston College

Monday, September 20, 2021

Abstract: Nearly 20 years after the publication of The Boston Globe's groundbreaking Spotlight report on the clergy sex abuse cover up, the Catholic Church continues to pay out large settlements, survivors continue to struggle toward healing, and claims of abuse, clericalism, and sexism continue to be leveled at the church. With sins so heinous and numerous, can Christians heed the command of Jesus to forgive the church not just seven times, but "seventy times seven"? If forgiveness is possible, what are its criteria? If it is not, what are the barriers? Join us for an insightful, if difficult, discussion of institutional challenges, proposed changes, and the possibility--or not--of forgiving the Catholic Church.