Verso una definizione di abuso di coscienza

Abstract

For several years, the Church has been involved in the scandal of sexual abuse of minors and other vulnerable people by some clergy representatives. Upon a closer and deeper inspection, it becomes apparent that these sexual abuses have often been preceded by an other form of abuse, psychological in nature. Words such as “abuse of power,” “spiritual abuse,” and “abuse of conscience” are frequently used to describe this phenomenon. However, these expressions do not seem to be sufficiently defined. This study attempts to make a differentiation between these expressions and to offer a definition for “abuse of conscience”.