Take, for example, the spiritual and physical penalties declared by the 4th Century architect of Eastern monasticism, St. Basil of Cesarea [322-379 AD], for the cleric or monk caught making sexual advances [kissing] or sexually molesting young boys or men. The convicted offender was to be whipped in public, deprived of his tonsure [head shaven], bound in chains and imprisoned for six months, after which he was to be contained in a separate cell and ordered to undergo severe penances and prayer vigils to expedite his sins under the watchful eye of an elder spiritual brother. His diet was that of water and barley bread-----the fodder of animals. Outside his cell, while engaged in manual labor and moving about the monastery, the pederast monk was to be always monitored by two fellow monks to insure that he never again had any contact with young men or boys. This is actually so close to possible punishments that I have been turning over in my mind these past few months! I didn't think of barley water, though, just regular water.
Great post! And encouraging -- if we fixed it once, we can do it again. The guidelines are there. (Shouldn't someone let the bishops know? They shouldn't have to waste time coming up with their own "guidelines" if the work has already been done.)
They shouldn't have to waste time coming up with their own "guidelines" ... Too true. The sad thing is that they're perfectly aware of the centuries - no, millenia - of "guidelines" on just this issue, but they prefer to ignore it. And therein lies the problem.