The Impact of Catholic Canonical Jurisprudential Theory on the Catholic Church’s Ability to Address Sexual Abuse

Authors

• Addison Bruce, Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law

Abstract

The Catholic Church is one of the world’s oldest, largest, and most enduring institutions. Catholic theology’s impact on Western civilization, culture, politics, and morality persists to this day. Thus, when the first reports of widespread sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Lafayette, Louisiana were released, the world paid attention. The truth revealed that priests had been using their positions of power for evil by abusing and engaging in sexual acts with minors and vulnerable adults. While the bulk of crimes were committed during the 1970s and 1980s and thereafter covered up by church leadership by paying hush money to victims and reassigning priests to different parishes, investigative journalism by The Boston Globe brought international attention to the issue in 2002.

Recommended Citation

Addison Bruce, Comment, The Impact of Catholic Canonical Jurisprudential Theory on the Catholic Church’s Ability to Address Sexual Abuse, ILRA Student Forum (2025)