“Peter Johnstone, president of the Australian group Catholics for Renewal, formed after revelations of abuse began to become public, called the church “dysfunctional, in that it is doing things that are totally contrary to its mission.”

In a wide-ranging discussion, members of Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and experts called to testify discussed how good business practices might or might not make children less vulnerable.

“The hearing included discussion of church governance, celibacy and what seminarians are being taught about power and leadership …

“(Maureen) Cleary (nonprofit governance consultant) and Patrick Parkinson, a law professor at Sydney University, spoke of the need for more involvement by laypeople to help break the institutional church’s system of clericalism, a pyramid structure of authority discussed in previous sessions.

“Peter Johnstone, president of the Australian group Catholics for Renewal, formed after revelations of abuse began to become public, called the church ‘dysfunctional, in that it is doing things that are totally contrary to its mission.’

“‘Essential requirements of good governance are usually seen as being … about accountability, transparency, leadership, listening, and (aligning the) culture and the leadership of the church, through accountability and transparency, to its mission,’ he said.”

By Catholic News Service on CatholicPhilly.com — Read more …