Pope admits priests kept nuns as sex slaves

Well at least the pope is being honest. But if ever there was reason to leave the Catholic Church - this has to be it - especially if you are a woman.
He acknowledges it’s still going on too.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-47134033


Pope Francis has admitted that clerics have sexually abused nuns, and in one case they were kept as sex slaves.

He said in that case his predecessor, Pope Benedict, was forced to shut down an entire congregation of nuns who were being abused by priests.

It is thought to be the first time that Pope Francis has acknowledged the sexual abuse of nuns by the clergy.

He said the Church was attempting to address the problem but said it was "still going on".

Last November, the Catholic Church's global organisation for nuns denounced the "culture of silence and secrecy" that prevented them from speaking out.

The Pope's comments come amid long-running allegations of sexual abuse of children and young men by priests.

What did Pope Francis say?
Speaking to reporters while on a historic tour of the Middle East on Tuesday, the pontiff admitted that the Church had an issue, the roots of which lie in "seeing women as second class".

He said that priests and bishops had abused nuns, but said the Church was aware of the "scandal" and was "working on it", adding that a number of clerics had been suspended.

"It's a path that we've been on," he said.

"Pope Benedict had the courage to dissolve a female congregation which was at a certain level, because this slavery of women had entered it - slavery, even to the point of sexual slavery - on the part of clerics or the founder."
Pope Francis said sexual abuse of nuns was an ongoing problem, but happened largely in "certain congregations, predominantly new ones".

"I think it's still taking place because it's not as though the moment you become aware of something it goes away."

I was raised in Catholic schools. The first one was coed while the second was boys-only, but there was an all girls school next door. We thought the priests were all holy, but later in life I learned about their sex scandals. Our principal -- a priest -- would constantly visit the convent next door at night.

I am no supporter of the Catholic church.
To me the issue is not that such things go on, because protestant churches have swept plenty under the rug as well, but that this knowledge permeates all the way to the top. And they find it acceptable to ignore the laws of the land and issue their own punishments, which is no punishment.
Not just at a local church level but even the Pope backs this. You can't let criminals off the hook, protect them from the law and act concerned or seem as if you've made some grand gesture by admitting it if you let them get away with it.

Sad too that it’s still happening.

The original post says:
It would have been better if the Pope had kept quiet. Suspension for a priest is like vacation because he continues living off the Church. In my denomination a minister who gets involved in sexual sin is definitively removed from his position. He can still be a pew member, if he wishes, but never again will he be a minister.

Why would anyone want to be a nun or a priest? This occupation/ organization needs to be disbanded.

While there is no doubt about scandal in the Catholic Church, this pope is a snake and not to be trusted.
I'll get my information from other sources.

I did say it's no punishment... so what's your point?

My point is the same as yours: suspension is no punishment. Most priests live in monasteries, friaries, priories, rectories, etc, and have their needs provided by the Church, so suspension for them is like a vacation. The only loss will be the stipend, which normally is very low.

Good post IMO that is crazy to say the least, what better way to control someone if they control almost every aspect of ones life? if one of those priest been living in a monastery and sees something bad in the church well I can almost guarantee that priest will be threaten with being exiled from the church. Like a man who has been in prison his whole life, life on the outside can be quite scary at first step into it, so the priest as well.

Oh, the way you worded the previous post sounded like you were disagreeing with me, but you agreed with me in words, so it was confusing.

Don’t know if anyone else noticed the links in the original article.

https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/11...zine-condemns-sexual-abuse-of-nuns-by-priests


The sexual abuse of nuns by priests and the resulting “scandal” of religious sisters having abortions or giving birth to children not recognised by their fathers has been condemned in an article in the Vatican’s women’s magazine, published on Friday (1 February).

The February issue of "Women Church World," distributed alongside the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, says that religious sisters for years have not reported offences against them by priests for fear of retaliation.

Editor Lucetta Scaraffia writes that the issue “reflects on the theme of abuse, that is, perverse use of touch”.

The article explains that Pope Francis’ understanding of abuse “can be of some help” in understanding how abuse against religious sisters comes about.

“If you point to power, to clericalism, the abuse against religious sisters takes on another aspect and can finally be recognised for what it is: that is an act of power in which touch becomes a violation of one's personal intimacy," it says.

The article says that reports of priests sexually abusing nuns in Africa were filed to the Vatican in the 1990s. Yet, nothing changed. Now, as part of the #Metoo movement, and as the sexual abuse of minors comes to the fore, women are beginning to publicly denouce their abuse.

"If the church continues to close its eyes to the scandal — made even worse by the fact that abuse of women brings about procreation and is therefore at the origin of forced abortions and children who aren't recognised by priests — the condition of oppression of women in the church will never change," Scaraffia wrote.

In November of last year, the Catholic Church‘s global organisation of nuns denounced the “culture of silence and secrecy” surrounding sexual abuse in the church in a statement.

The International Union of Superiors General – which represents more than 500,000 women religious worldwide - did not name priests as the aggressors but, more broadly, condemned what it called the “pattern of abuse that is prevalent within the church and society today”, citing sexual, verbal and emotional abuse as types of mistreatment that festers in unequal power relations and demeans the dignity of its victims.

“We condemn those who support the culture of silence and secrecy, often under the guise of ‘protection’ of an institution’s reputation or naming it ‘part of one’s culture,”’ the group said.

In September 2018, women religious in India made global headlines when they staged a public protest; marching to the High Court in Kerala to demand the arrest of a bishop alleged to have raped a nun 13 times over two years. The nun first reported the alleged rape to the church a year earlier, only to receive no response. When she filed a complaint to the police in June 2018, the police did not take action for 70 days, causing the nuns to stage the protest, the first by religious sisters in the country.

“It seems police are reluctant to take action due to pressure. Church and police both let us down”, one of the religious sisters protesting told news outlets.

"Women Church World," which is published in Italian, French, Spanish and English, last year made headlines with an issue devoted to "work" and an article denouncing how nuns are often treated like servants by cardinals and bishops, for whom they cook and clean for next to no pay.

An ex-nun speaks out.

Anyone surprised by this?

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I don't even want to read the article - the whole biz is detestable.

I expect this has gone on century in century out.

Can someone explain what the basic RC rational is for having unmarried only as priests?

A false doctrine taken out of biblical context.
But that’s no excuse anyway, the majority of the population of single men
don’t go around raping and abusing women.

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Which doctrine ?


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Humorous - but doesn’t explain the original underlying rational.

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Most likely base on 1 Corinthians 7. Paul speaks on married/single life.

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This is what i suspected too...but would be interested to see confirmation from one of our resident RC 'investigators'.

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