ABSTRACT
Research developed in the northern hemisphere on the abuse of power, conscience, and sexuality in the Church concludes that clericalism, as a perversion of the exercise of authority, is primarily responsible for the crisis, a perspective shared by Pope Francis. This phenomenon is not merely a result of individual shortcomings; rather, it thrives due to systemic elements ingrained within the institution. Certain components of clericalism are universal but other traits are influenced by the unique social and cultural context of individual regions.
This chapter proposes to address a critical gap by analyzing and focusing on clericalism in its Latin-American version. Several factors, such as the prestige of the Church, its involvement in highly popular social projects, the weakness (and at times, corruption) of government institutions, the discretionary handling of resources (in particular financial), machismo, cultural tendencies towards authoritarianism, and the Europeanization of seminary formations, transform priests into exceptional beings and exacerbate their monarch-style power over passive lay people. Of particular significance is the aura of sanctity that the sacrament of ordination carries, taking on new dimensions in the context of Latin-American “enchanted modernity.” Within this framework, priests are perceived as bearers of powerful blessings, akin to almost divine entities. This perception has witnessed a recent reinforcement, further solidifying this trend.
