Who Is the System? On the Externalisation and Depersonalisation of Responsibility for Abuse

ABSTRACT This article examines the externalisation and depersonalisation of responsibility in the institutional communication of the Roman Catholic Church in the context of sexualised violence. Niklas Luhmann's theory of social systems is used to show how semantic constructions such as ‘systemic causes’ rhetorically blur responsibility and contribute to the structural immunisation of the organisation. Three system levels are analytically distinguished: the functional system of religion, the organisation of the church and the interaction between clergy and laity. The study is based on church statements, theological sources and empirical studies. The paper argues for a scientifically rigorous system analysis to tackle the problem of sexualised violence in the church. It concludes by discussing how a genuine systems theory perspective can contribute to institutional reform and prevention.