Abusos IVE y SSVM

Tag: Spiritual abuse

  • Italian Bishops’ Conference: “Spiritual abuse; elements of recognition and context”

    Italian Bishops’ Conference: “Spiritual abuse; elements of recognition and context”

    Abuse in the ecclesial context is always spiritual

    INTRODUCTION

    The abuses of power, conscience and spirituality represent a deep wound in the Church not only for the people who suffer them, but also for the communities and institutions in which they take place. These are complex dynamics that are intertwined with trust, the role of authority and human vulnerability; they often happen in areas where relationships should be a space for growth and protection. Understanding these phenomena means going beyond appearances, grasping the systemic roots that make them possible and the devastating consequences they produce in the lives of the victims, both personally and spiritually.

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  • Victims of spiritual abuse from religious congregations: why do they prefer anonymity?

    Victims of spiritual abuse from religious congregations: why do they prefer anonymity?

    Leaving a cult is not simply moving away from a group: it is, in many cases, rebuilding oneself from scratch. Many victims of spiritual, psychological or even physical abuse by sectarian groups choose not to come forward publicly. They are often kept anonymous, and this should not be interpreted as cowardice, but as part of a deep and painful process of healing. Here we explore the most frequent reasons behind this decision.

    1. Shame and internalized guilt

    Cults are experts in emotional manipulation. One of their most effective tactics is to make the victim feel that what they are experiencing is their fault. Even after leaving, many people feel ashamed of “having fallen,” preferring to keep silent to avoid external judgment.

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  • RedUNE (Spain): “Institute of the Incarnate Word: testimony and denunciation”

    RedUNE (Spain): “Institute of the Incarnate Word: testimony and denunciation”

    We reproduce here an article published on the website of RedUNE (Network for the Prevention of Sectarianism and Abuse of Weakness). The original article can be found here.

    At the age of 18 she entered the Institute of Religious SERVANTS OF THE LORD AND THE VIRGIN OF MATARÁ, belonging to the Congregation of the Incarnate Word, after the years of initiation into religious life as a novitiate and student body (carried out in Brazil and Argentina). Later she was sent to Spain in 2004, remaining in that religious Institute from 2004 to 2018.

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  • Sectarian drifts: document of the French Bishops’ Conference

    Sectarian drifts: document of the French Bishops’ Conference

    We publish here a document of the bishops of France on sectarian drifts, by Sr. Chantal-Marie SORLIN, Head of the Office of the Episcopal Conference for Sectarian Drifts, June 2014

    Translation by Ana Azanza. Original text in French .

    This list of criteria follows a behavioral process in four chronological steps:

    1. The cult of personality

    The members of the group feel attracted and grouped around a founder with a complex personality in his career and pretensions…

    1.1 The birth of the group

    A dysfunction in the discernment of vocations can have dire consequences. Examples abound of candidates for the priesthood rejected in one diocese but accepted in another. The same applies to the recognition of an association of the faithful or a community. Likewise, the Swiss bishops have just recalled this requirement: “when candidates for the priesthood or religious life change their place of formation or community, information must circulate among the directors in a clear and precise manner.”

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  • Excellent video from the Archdiocese of Madrid on spiritual abuse: application to the IVE/SSVM

    Excellent video from the Archdiocese of Madrid on spiritual abuse: application to the IVE/SSVM

    This video published by the Archdiocese of Madrid explains many aspects of life in the IVE and SSVM