1`Sexual abuse/harassment committed by
the Priest, Religious
Introduction
In recent times, a few priests, religious committing sexual abuse came to the spotlight of the news and became the headlines in the media all over the world. This unexpected event which is a punishable crime brought to the priest, the religious a shameful situation and let the Church down. On the other hand, the victims of this incident have been suffering a lot. The act of sexual abuse is an act against humanity and morality, it is a moral sin. From the Church herself and from the people protests arose and there were demands to face the event according to the civil law.
What is the act of sexual abuse/harassment?
Sexual abuse is the act of making illegal sexual relationship using opportunities of dependents or minors by tempting, giving them some kind of favours or frightening them. It is an immoral act; according to the civil law it is a great crime as well and those who commit this crime are punished severely. It is a shameful deed in the society. In the religion it is a moral sin.
Who is a priest?
Priesthood is a special call of God. A person willingly responses to that call and accepts it. The Lord Jesus “appointed certain men as ministers in order that they might be united in one body in which all the members have not the same function. These men were to hold in the community of the faithful the sacred power of Order, that of offering sacrifice and forgiving sins, and were to exercise the priestly office publicly on behalf of men in the name of Christ.”[1]Jesus appointed the apostles to preach His Good news; the apostles made bishops their successors and “the function of the bishops’ ministry was handed over in a subordinate degree to priests so that they might be...co-workers of the episcopal order.”[2] The priest is a bridge to God, minister of God’s Word and of the Sacraments and the Eucharist, and ruler and leader of God’s people. He lives the religious life and takes or observes vows namely chastity, poverty and obedience. The priest is sexual as a human being but he commits or observes or perseveres to be chaste and celibate; for it, he is responsible first to himself and God, then to the Church and to the society.
Some of the evidences of abuse by the
priest
These days, the
media especially BBC and CNN in the West is full of reports about sexual abuse,
especially abuse by priests and religious. After the focus in recent years on
A crime against conscience or morality
The Church takes a public stance of honesty, morality and integrity by the help of the priest and the religious. They are the men of good conduct, good manners, and human values and after all, men of God; they are holy, just and upright personalities. They move by conscience, they give good advises and teach people the human values. Sexual abuse or harassment is an immoral act, and when a priest, religious commits so, then what a collapse it is!
A crime against humanity
The priesthood is the commitment to God and to the Church; it is a commitment to the people of God as well. He is a leader among people. People love him, rely on him and trust him some more rather blindly. He cheats them abusing them. He breaks his promise and misuses the chances. Sexual abuse is a crime against humanity. The victim suffers because many support and take the side of the priest, religious.
A crime against the Church
By committing sexual abuse the priest and religious breaks the Church law and his commitment to the Church, he disfigures the sacrament of priesthood. In the eyes of the faith, one must add the fact that abuse by ministers of the Church and by religious is not only a crime of public persons who profess a lofty ideal but it is also a scandal. He let the Church down. It puts an obstacle in the way of faith in God and can cause many people to stumble over that which is most important in human existence: our relationship with God. The Bible says, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. (Luke 17:2)”[4]
A crime against civil law
There are rules and regulations in the society or in the country to justify human conducts whether they are good or bad. All the human values are considered as good manners. Laws are passed to control the human behaviours. All citizens have to follow the rules and laws. Sexual abuse is an illegal act and a crime which is punishable; as a result, those who commit it must fall in the justification according to the civil law. Therefore, as a citizen of a country, the accused priest, religious must face the civil law.
Reactions
Time magazine suggested ‘to notify the
local police about cases in which sexual abuse was suspected and to follow
civil law’[5]. Newsweek also wrote that ‘
Apology of the Church leaders
The Pope acknowledged the serious and shameful situation that the Church has been going through for many years. Declaring his profound concern, Benedict XVI affirmed his sharing of the sense of anxiety, dismay and betrayal experienced by many Catholics for the sinful and criminal they were dealt with by the leaders of the Church. Pope wrote a letter ‘with anguished heart and with many tears’[8] not to add to the sorrow but to sustain it with his love. He acknowledged the misdeed. He did not want to conceal the wrong done - before God and men so that the terrible offence of the abuses perpetrated on minors may be redressed according to justice and the Gospel. In his letter the pope apologized saying, “I have been deeply disturbed by the information which has come to the light regarding the abuse of children and vulnerable young people by members of the Church...particularly by priests and religious.’’[9] “I am truly sorry...I openly express the shame and remorse that we all feel.”[10] Several bishops and congressional leaders asked pardon openly. The Superior General of the Oblates expressed his regret saying, “Personally, it makes me ill to hear of such cases and would like to ask pardon in the name of the Church because we have not been able to better protect these innocents and persons who trusted us.”[11]
Conclusion
No one wants to see the priest, religious on a pedestal, pretending that his conduct is first and foremost always perfect, but everybody wants him to be a real and perfect human being with morality and other human values. If there is sinfulness, that must be admitted. A few priests, religious by committing sexual abuse caused their fellow priests, religious ashamed, created an uneasy situation and let down the whole Church. Sexual abuse is a scandal, crime and immoral act.
Bibliography
- FLANNERY,
2. From the sheet of the Oblates’ Father General’s Missionary Meditation: The Consecrated Vocation and the Campaign against abuse.
3. New Guidelines. Time, April 26,2010
- Pastoral letter of Benedict XVI to the Catholics of
Ireland. L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO, weekly edition in English,
- Thiroux, Jacques P.: Ethics theory & practice.
- Rayes, Joseph, OFM: living religious vows.
- Capuchin, Keith Clark: Being sexual...and celibate. Indiana, Ave Maria Press,1986.
- Voillaume, Rene: Concerning religious life. Paris, Editions du Cerf, 1975
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[1] FLANNERY,
[2] FLANNERY,
[3] From the sheet of the Oblates’ Father General’s Missionary Meditation: The Consecrated Vocation and the Campaign against abuse.
[4] From the sheet of the Oblates’ Father General’s Missionary Meditation: The Consecrated Vocation and the Campaign against abuse.
[5] Tim New Guidelines. Time, April 26,2010, p. 8
[6]
[7] From the sheet of the Oblates’ Father General’s Missionary Meditation: The Consecrated Vocation and the Campaign against abuse.
[8] Pastoral
letter of Benedict XVI to the Catholics of Ireland. L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO,
weekly edition in English,
[9] Pastoral
letter of Benedict XVI to the Catholics of Ireland. L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO,
weekly edition in English,
[10]Pastoral
letter of Benedict XVI to the Catholics of Ireland. L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO,
weekly edition in English,
[11] From the sheet of the Oblates’ Father General’s Missionary Meditation: The Consecrated Vocation and the Campaign against abuse.
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