Breaking the Culture of Silence: Clerical Abuse and Safeguarding in Ghana, A Practical-Theological Reflection in Global Context

Abstract

This study offers a practical-theological reflection on clerical abuse, cultural silence, and safeguarding within the Ghanaian Catholic Church in dialogue with Western experiences, particularly in Chicago. It explores how reverence for clerical authority, family honor, and communal shame sustain a “culture of silence” that hinders justice and healing. Through qualitative interviews, field observations, and comparative analysis, the research situates abuse as a moral and theological crisis that demands institutional conversion and pastoral accountability. By examining canonical developments, Vatican reforms, and local safeguarding policies, it proposes a contextual theology of safeguarding grounded in truth, justice, and mercy. The paper argues that authentic prevention requires not only policy but formation, cultivating affective maturity, transparency, and co-responsibility across Church life. Ultimately, safeguarding is presented as a Gospel imperative and act of evangelization, calling the Ghanaian Church to move from silence to solidarity and from secrecy to conversion.