By Russell Shaw

Misuse of secrecy breeds suspicion, distrust

Lack of transparency also undermines the Catholic Church's self-understanding as communion of believers

Pope Benedict XVI was talking and he got it exactly right. "We cannot communicate with the Lord if we do not communicate with one another," he told an Italian eucharistic congress.

The pope didn't target secrecy, but he might have. As in many other sectors of society today, so also in the Church the abuse of secrecy is a serious problem. When secrecy is abused there, it makes it impossible for the Church fully to be in practice what faith says it is in essence -- a communio or communion of persons with equal dignity and rights.

Certainly, there are situations where the practice of secrecy and confidentiality by the Church is necessary and good. A "pastoral instruction" on communication published by the Vatican in 1971 listed two: "the good name of individuals" and "the rights of people whether singly or collectively."

The most obvious case where secrecy must be strictly observed concerns the "seal of the confessional" -- the obligation of priests and everyone else never to disclose or make use of what they hear in the Sacrament of Penance.

There also is a serious duty to protect the privacy of people in pastoral counseling. Furthermore, the Church has the same privacy rights as any other group or institution -- for the sake of protecting legitimate financial interests or to preserve sensitive decision-making processes, such as the election of a pope, from prying eyes.

Misuses of secrecy

At times, though, the practice of secrecy in the Church goes far beyond situations like these. Then serious harm can result.

The most notorious instance in modern times was the cover-up of clergy sex abuse. In an important report published in 2004, the all-lay National Review Board established by the U.S. bishops to monitor their sex abuse policy spoke of an "impulse to avoid scandal at all costs" that allegedly moved Church leaders to conceal information about abusive clerics which should have been shared with parishioners and with other dioceses.

"Clericalism . . . contributed to a culture of secrecy," the National Review Board concluded. "In many instances, Church leaders valued confidentiality and a priest's right to privacy above the prevention of further harm to victim."

The abuse scandal is hardly the only instance of the misuse of secrecy.

Some pastors spring big decisions on their parishioners without consulting them, then wonder why people are irritated and uncooperative.

Fundraising programs under religious auspices often fail in elementary accountability by not telling donors how their money is actually used.

Religious orders that depend on public support rarely allow outsiders a look at their inner workings, including decisions to open and close schools and other public institutions.

Behind closed doors

As a group, the U.S. bishops have a mixed record on secrecy.

In 1971 they adopted a policy of holding their twice-yearly general meetings largely in open session, with journalists and observers present. Time magazine hailed this as an "extraordinary" decision. "The U.S. bishops' move . . . was the end of an era in which secrecy was virtually an unquestioned fact in policy formulation," the magazine said.

But in recent years increasing time has been spent behind closed doors -- with no explanation. Strange to say, the shift back to secrecy has occurred despite the bishops' pledge, responding to the sex abuse scandal, to practice "transparency" in the conduct of their affairs.

Last November, out of 22 hours of meeting time, eight hours of the bishops' assembly in Baltimore took place in sessions closed to the press and observers. In other recent meetings, the figure has been even higher.

Undermining communion

It's no secret that too much secrecy can hurt. Ethicist Sissela Bok says people who discover that the wool has been pulled over their eyes typically are "resentful, disappointed and suspicious."

That can mean trouble in any setting. But especially in the Church, in light of its self-understanding as a communion.

Communio ecclesiology (as the theologians call it) has a "vertical" dimension -- it concerns the human relationship with God. But it also has a "horizontal" dimension -- the relationship of Church members with one another. Systematic abuse of secrecy by a few undermines communion by depriving the many of information they need to be active, responsible participants in Church life.

That's hardly a new insight. Popes have stressed the importance of public opinion in the Church for at least half a century. In his last public document -- an "apostolic letter" on communications published a few weeks before he died -- Pope John Paul II quoted the Second Vatican Council on open communication in the Church:

"A great many wonderful things are to be hoped for from this familiar dialogue between the laity and their spiritual leaders: in the laity a strengthened sense of personal responsibility; a renewed enthusiasm; a more ready application of their talents to the projects of their spiritual leaders.

"The latter, on the other hand, aided by the experience of the laity, can more clearly and incisively come to decisions regarding both spiritual and temporal matters. In this way, the whole Church, strengthened by each one of its members, may more effectively fulfill its mission for the life of the world."

That wonderful vision won't be realized as long as secrecy keeps getting in the way.

Communications as a moral act

Throughout the history of salvation, Christ presents himself to us as the "communicator" of the Father: "God, in these last days, has spoken to us through his Son" (Heb 1:2). The eternal Word made flesh, in communicating himself, always shows respect for those who listen, teaches understanding of their situation and needs, is moved to compassion for their suffering and to a resolute determination to say to them only what they need to hear without imposition or compromise, deceit or manipulation. Jesus teaches that communication is a moral act, "A good person brings forth good out of a store of goodness, but an evil person brings forth evil out of a store of evil. I tell you, on the Day of Judgment people will render an account for every careless word they speak. By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned" (Mt 12:35-37)."

-- Pope John Paul II, from his 2005 World Communications Day apostolic letter

Russell Shaw is a contributing editor to Our Sunday Visitor and author of the forthcoming book "Nothing To Hide: Secrecy, Communication, and Communion in the Catholic Church" (Ignatius Press, $13.95).