Transparency and Secrecy Within the Catholic Church

In any group or community, communication among members is necessary for the group’s health and functioning, and that is no less true of the Catholic Church. One of the challenges of the Church is to maintain both transparency and confidentiality, with respect to the purpose and limits of each. Both transparency and secrecy are crucial in decisions of governance that affect the identity of the Church.

Transparency and Secrecy Within the Catholic Church looks at the challenge of achieving this balance in the conduct of ecclesiastical affairs, while also positioning the importance of protecting certain spaces of secrecy.

The authors’ work was influenced by Pope Francis’ Motu Proprio, and is part of a movement that cares about justice for people and promoting communication that is increasingly consistent with the identity of the Church. This text does not treat sexual abuse in the Church as the main subject; it focuses on the reforms made by Pope Francis and the necessary changes to eradicate the abuse tragedies.

As examined by the authors, the norms cited in Pope Francis’ Moto Proprio established new procedures for reporting abuse; calling for greater accountability in terms of transparency for those in charge of holding critical and sensitive information.

In Transparency and Secrecy within the Catholic Church, the authors discuss the reasons for adhering to a culture of openness, shared responsibility, and the importance of synergy between law, theology, and communication.