Clericalism and psychopathy
Kevin Johnson is an eighty year old retired priest from Mackay, Queensland. He spent very many years in the study and part-time practice of medicine, psychiatry and psychology and continues his study in those fields. In this article he discusses the brain science causing people to be psychopaths. He looks at the danger of psychopaths in positions of power including priests and bishops. [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]
Throughout the USA at present and other countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, ongoing research and public education are occurring on the mental condition known as psychopathy. It is a matter of important and urgent interest in all areas of business, in marriage, in politics and within the churches. In the past, the awareness of psychopathy related all but exclusively to criminal behaviour, but the modern approach encourages us to consider the matter much more broadly. In very recent times, truly excellent books are continuing to be published on this subject and they inform the public of the widespread problem of psychopathy. One of these best sellers is the work of David Gillespie under the title of Taming Toxic People – the science of identifying & dealing with psychopaths at work and at home. It is well and truly worthy of being read by each and every one of us. If we think that psychopathy is not a problem within our Catholic Church structure in Australia, we need to broaden our awareness and to do that quickly.
What makes a person a psychopath? It is a state of natural heritage, a way in which we are born. On the frontal lobe of our brains there are a number of tiny spindle neurons. Some 95-98% of humans possess a set number of these neurons and they contribute to our personality structure. Between 1 and 5% of humans possess a smaller number of spindle neurons and this paucity of them results in a personality structure known as psychopathy. There are also a small number of people with the lowest endowment of spindle neurons and these unfortunate humans demonstrate schizoid personalities.
Psychopaths manifest a dual personality structure, the former of which is intelligent, charming and very likeable, and this is used to readily achieve notice, admiration and attention and to thoroughly impress anyone who has the ability to bestow acceptable benefits to the psychopath. Once such benefits have been gained, the alternate personality surfaces. This personality totally lacks empathy, is self-obsessed, emotionally manipulative, untruthful, impulsive, vindictive, aggressive, intimidating, emotionally shallow, lacking in remorse and guilt, fearless and controlling. Psychopaths use their former personality to impress those around them and by doing this comfortably gain power status. On the achievement of power status, the alternate personality comes to the fore and it is maintained. Psychopaths can switch on the charming personality in the presence of equals and superiors in an effort to maintain their power structure but they are generally self-obsessed and manipulative with their inferiors. They cause a lot of hurt in marriage, in business, in politics and in the church.
It is said that some 20% of business executives are psychopaths. They are generally quite tough on staff members and will always try to eliminate anyone who is capable of identifying their mental condition. Employers are now being encouraged to thoroughly check the qualifications and claims of people approaching them for employment. Psychopaths are anything but truthful in their statements of proficiency.
It is without doubt a very wise move for bishops to thoroughly check the background of those being considered for elevation to the episcopal state. Pope Francis encourages our bishops to examine the pastoral efficacy of episcopal candidates before recommending them for elevation to that state. Psychopaths are never good pastors because they totally lack empathy and do not relate well with parishioners generally. They pretend to be good pastors and readily quote striking examples of pastoral success, but the people are fully aware of the inadequacies of their pastor who simply lack people skills. Psychopaths exercise complete self-interest.
Once a power status is achieved, they characteristically behave in ways which publicly demonstrate their superiority. These can include using business class for flight travel, driving a vehicle which is of superior rating to their subordinates, possessing a better than average place of accommodation, and enjoying highly rated dietary intake. Most psychopaths in our world are males, but females do also appear in this category of psychosis. I have personally managed five cases relating to psychopathy during 2017, three males and two females. Not one of the psychopaths sought counselling, but their marital partners did. No cure exists for psychopathy at present and it is unlikely that a psychopath will look for a cure. This is indeed a matter of extreme urgency in the consideration of marital annulments.
It is impossible to assess the number of priests who are psychopaths; nor is it possible to determine the number of bishops in this category, but they do exist and their number is likely to be significant. Psychopaths are a very rare problem in the poorer countries of our world because poverty does not promote the necessary power and control needed by a psychopath, but they must be a significant problem in all of the wealthier societies. It is very important that clergy at all levels become aware of this. There are dioceses in which some 50% of recent bishops have been evident psychopaths, but hopefully that is not common. Bishops in our modern world need to be vigilant and cautious in the selection of nominees for the episcopacy, more so now than at any previous time in the history of Christianity.[/s2If]
