Fr. Zach Talks Restorative Justice at Sheen Center panel
To listen to the full panel discussion, please visit the link below! https://bit.ly/3BNelaw
To learn more about restorative justice and the Church’s teaching, visit https://bit.ly/3seL05Q.
Earlier this year, Fr. Zach appeared on a panel titled “Dignity & Healing: A Catholic Panel on Restorative Justice” hosted by the Sheen Center for Thought & Culture. Along with remarks from other panelists and experts, the discussion focused on discerning what the Catholic Church teaches about the principles of restorative justice, healing, and reconciliation for those who transgress in our society. Is healing possible for crime victims? Can the formerly incarcerated be reintegrated into society? What can we do?
During the conversation, Fr. Zach recounted a story in which he was asked by someone why he did not focus his energies on those affected by crime instead of those who perpetrated them. “You know, I think that’s what I am doing,” he replied. “I spend most of my days listening to stories of men who are talking about being sexually abused when they were younger, men talking about abject poverty that they had grown up with, never having access to real healthcare or education, young kids telling me about how physically abusive their households were. I feel like I am working with victims everyday.” Fr. Zach went on to explain that there is often a “chasm” between the victim and offender that amounts to a real barrier to healing and reconciliation. The first step toward healing, he says, begins with trying to “know the other” in order to reconcile.
Restorative justice broadly refers to an approach to conflict resolution in which the transgressor, transgressed, and community come together to repair harm by providing an opportunity for all involved to communicate, take responsibility, and discern accountability measures that can begin the process of reconciliation and healing. In remarks to the World Congress of the International Association of Penal Law, Pope Francis reiterated the importance of restorative justice as a means of affirming mutual human dignity through dialogue and empathy. Beyond the criminal justice system, restorative justice has broad application in a range of other policy and situational contexts, particularly as a form of problem resolution and harm reduction.