Broken brotherhood: understanding child sexual abuse by Marist brothers and former Marist brothers in Australia

Geary, Brendan (2025) Broken brotherhood: understanding child sexual abuse by Marist brothers and former Marist brothers in Australia. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to interview four Marist brothers and four former Marist brothers who had abused children to ascertain their understanding of the factors that contributed to the abuse. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used as the methodology for the research, using semi-structured interviews. The findings were interpreted in the light of the reports of commissions of inquiry and psychological research. The findings supported the view that abuse by clerics is a complex phenomenon that involves personal, situational, organisational, and environmental factors. The results are consistent with the findings from published qualitative research with priests and brothers, and the data from commissions of inquiry, including the importance of opportunity as a significant factor in the abuse of children by clerics.

This is the first research project where the participants were all members of the same Roman Catholic religious order of brothers, and from the same country. The results were explored from the perspective of the vocation of brotherhood and, in particular, Marist brotherhood. St Marcellin Champagnat, the founder of the Marist Brothers, was opposed to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect, and established rules to prevent the abuse of children and to protect the brothers from the temptations of inappropriate behaviour. The regulations regarding relations with pupils and how to live a life of chastity from the time of the Founder until the mid-20th century were explored, especially the changes that took place at the time of Vatican II (1963–65) that led to significant developments in the theology and vocation of brothers in the Church. These developments enabled the Marist Brothers to respond to the abuse crisis by benefiting from insights from psychology and counselling, and from developments in theology, as well as by extending the mission and spirituality of the Marist Brothers to lay men and women.

The themes of guilt, shame, redemption, membership, identity, loss, and belonging were explored from the perspective of psychology. Moral injury was proposed as a concept that could be applied to victims, secondary victims, perpetrators, and bystanders, as all felt betrayed and lost trust in individuals in leadership and in the Church as an institution. One of the implications of this research is that clerical status is not a significant variable regarding the abuse of children by priests and brothers. The research also showed that individuals are able to build new lives and identities and live meaningful lives after discovery and imprisonment. Brotherhood as a value and (for some) an identity, continues to have validity whether they continue to live as Marist brothers, leave, or are dismissed from the Order.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology; B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity; B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BV Practical Theology; H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > Theology and Religious Studies
• Supervisor's Name: Clague, Ms. Julie
• Date of Award: 2025
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2025-85235
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 27 Jun 2025 08:44
• Last Modified: 27 Jun 2025 08:48
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/85235