Abuse – whether physical, emotional or spiritual – is not a new phenomenon. In her article ‘Reporting in the German Old Catholic press on sexual and spiritual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church at the end of the 19th century’, Theresa Hüther shows that the debate on sexual and spiritual abuse dates back to the late 19th century. Even then, the Old Catholic press openly reported on cases of assault and cover-ups that today would be described as ‘classic abuse stories’: priests who abused their position of power, convent schools where female pupils became victims, and church structures that protected perpetrators. Criticism of ultramontane forms of piety, which manifested themselves in unquestioning submission to the authority of the Church and the Pope, was a recurring theme in newspaper articles. The Old Catholic movement, which emerged at the end of the 19th century in response to the dogmatic absolutisation of papal infallibility and jurisdictional primacy in the context of the First Vatican Council, criticised the fact that spiritual abuse and deliberate manipulation, often through sexualised language, frequently not only encouraged sexual violence but also prepared the ground for it and made it possible. It is particularly interesting to note that structural causes, such as the obligation of celibacy or the practice of confession, were already being discussed in the 19th century. Thus, abuse of power and the resulting cases of abuse were not seen as moral failures of individuals, but as the result of a system that promoted dependence and silence. Hüther thus shows that there was no lack of knowledge about power abuse, spiritual abuse and sexual abuse, but that the Roman Catholic Church simply lacked the willingness to question its own structures. The further development of church structures, such as a change in the practice of confession, the abolition of celibacy, or even a disciplinary statute for clergy that regulates the dismissal of sexually abusive priests, can contribute to the prevention of spiritual and sexual abuse as well as abuse of power. The open discussion of church abuse scandals is therefore not just a modern phenomenon. Today, it ensures that victims are given the space to talk openly about their experiences. Read more in the article published on theologie.geschichte: DOI: https://doi.org/10.48603/tg-2025-art-4