Sex runs rampant in the Catholic Church

Capitol Hill Blue ^ | January 9, 2003 | DOUG THOMPSON

[arj]

Recent revelations that at least 40 percent of Catholic nuns in the United States are victims of sexual abuse are just part of a growing sex scandal in the Church that goes far beyond the abuse of young boys by priests.

Capitol Hill Blue has learned that internal investigations by the Church have uncovered massive evidence of frequent sexual activity by both nuns and priests (often with each other), use of Church money to pay for abortions for pregnant nuns and a “casual and tolerant attitude towards sexual activity among Church leaders.”

Details of the investigations are a closely guarded secret of the Church hierarchy, but sources tell CHB that the results are being closely studied by Vatican officials who express “shock and outrage” at the high levels of sex involving priests and nuns.

“For God’s sake, this is the Church. It is not a bordello,” exclaimed one priest involved in the investigation. “This is a crime against God.”

In interviews with current nuns and priests, as well as with a number of clergy who have left the church, a disturbing portrait of immoral activity within Church walls emerges, including:

--Priests who regularly have sex with female parishioners. According to two sources, as many as 5,000 priests in the U.S. have been discovered to have had affairs with parishioners.

--At least 34,000 nuns who admit sexual abuse or activity.

--Frequent sexual contact between priests and nuns. The investigations are said to have found “dozens” of cases where nuns who became pregnant from these affairs had abortions paid for out of Church funds (even though the Church opposes abortions).

--Hundreds of confirmed reports of lesbian sexual encounters among nuns as well as homosexual contact between priests.

--Hundreds of cases where priests and nuns leave the Church and marry shortly afterwards, many having children conceived while they were still Church clergy.

“You are dealing with human beings with human failings,” admits Jonathan, an ex-priest who left the Church years ago and married a former nun. Their oldest child was conceived during an affair when both were still in the Church. Jonathan agreed to be interviewed only on condition that neither his last name nor his wife’s name be used for this article.

“Yes, we both took vows of chastity but we broke those vows,” he says. “We weren’t the only ones. I knew several priests in my diocese who broke their vows as well. My wife knew many nuns who violated their vows.”

Jonathan says stories about rampant sexual activity among priests and nuns circulated in the Church for years but that Catholic leaders looked the other way.

“There were two hypocrisies at work,” he says. “One because some of the Church leaders were, themselves, unfaithful to their vows and the other because everyone knew the damage to the church if this ever became public.”

Only when confronted with the revelations last year of widespread abuse of children and the subsequent cover up has the church taken a closer look at the sexual activity.

"The bishops appear to be only looking at the issue of child sexual abuse, but the problem is bigger than that," says St. Louis University researcher Ann Wolf, one of those who authored the study on widespread sexual abuse of nuns. "Catholic sisters are being violated, in their ministries, at work, in pastoral counseling."

St. Louis University conducted a national survey of nuns in 1996 but the Church-affiliated school never publicly released the results. The study, paid for by several of the nun orders, was turned over to the Church. Wolf and the other researchers found 34,000 nuns who had been either sexually abused or engaged in sexual activity.

“What they found were those who admitted it,” says Jonathan. “There were, and are, many others.”

Jonathan admits his wife was not his first sexual partner while he wore the robes of priesthood. He had affairs with female parishioners and other nuns.

“It was all done with a wink and a nod,” he says. “Just about everybody knew what was happening but nobody wanted to do anything about it.”

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops claims to know nothing of the studies and refuses to comment on the specifics of this article. Phone calls to various Catholic officials and Vatican offices were not returned.

[Steve_Seattle]

"threatened with excommunication"

I have never in my life heard of anyone threatened with excommunication for reporting priestly sexual misconduct. As far as "rampant sexuality" is concerned, it seems to me that the vast majority of this started in the mid-1960s. The Catholic clergy began to be educated in regular colleges rather than seminaries, mingling with young non-religious students, nuns often began to live alone in apartments, and they were taken-in by the permissiveness of the times. Above all, they had an inferiority complex with regards to the liberal circles they were now moving in, and they often felt they had to prove how "with-it" they were by ridiculing traditional Catholic sexual morality. I know for a fact that the same tendencies were there in liberal Protestant churches, it was all one big party. And today there are no bigger promoters of legalized abortion than the mainline Protestant churches.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

I assume that you have remained unmarried and celibate, correct?

[Antoninus]

To deny your church leaders this, is unnatural and leads to the delusional thinking of many of today's adherents that what is happening in the church today and 100 years ago, is and wasn't happening.

You're speaking from profound ignorance, so you can be forgiven. Church leaders have a family--the entire Church. We are their children. For those of a proper mindset, the priesthood is the most fulfilling vocation a man could ask for.

Are people weak? Do people sin? Of course! Even priests who have taken solemn vows before God Almighty. The difference today is that there are certain elements of our society that think that sexual misconduct as it has been defined for thousands of years shouldn't be considered a sin anymore. Unfortunately, many of the priests and religious in this country have bought into this worldly zeitgeist. Pray for them, that they may remain true to the Gospel as preached by Jesus Christ, not the modern secular gospel of instant gratification.

[B-Chan]

“This is a crime against God.”

Yes, but so is preaching that a priest can interven to have ones sins forgiven.

That's not what Our Lord taught. He said to the apostles, "Whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven, whose sins you shall retain they are retained" (Jn 20:19-23).

[ACAC]

You are right about mainline Protestant churches. I would be a Catholic before I would be a Methodist or Episcapalain (sp). The Lutheran church-Missouri Snyod is pro-life. I am not sure but I think that would be considered a mainline protestant church.

[Antoninus]

Ha! It's not just "AmChurch." It's very common for priests in South America to live in open concubinage.

That's a heck of an inflamatory statement to be putting out there without proof. Please provide....

[sinkspur]

The Catholic church has an unhealty attitude about this practice, and if they had been more accepting of it, they probably wouldn't have as many lawsuits pending as they do.

The Church has an unhealthy attitude toward masturbation by adolescents. But, if a 35 year old man is masturbating like an adolescent, he might very well view women as objects.

That's pretty serious stuff for an adult male.

[Antoninus]

How about my first hand reporting about members of the Cincinnati Seminary? Is that disgusting (read untrue or biased) also?

No. Disgusting does not equal "untrue or biased" in my parlance. I believe it, just as I believe your anecdotal story about the Cincinnati Seminary. It's all disgusting. Woe unto them by whom scandal comes.

[Bluntpoint]

Keep telling your self that. But be prepared to reap what you sow.

Your parrishes remain viable today only because your church has so lowered its standards as to who can be a priest. Just for you can claim your moral superiorty in regards to celibacy.

Arrogance before the fall.

[Antoninus]

I assume that you have remained unmarried and celibate, correct?

While it's none of your &%$#@ business, and I find your question utterly without class, I'll just say that I was celibate until marriage. I was not called to be a priest.

[sinkspur]

Church leaders have a family--the entire Church. We are their children.

No wonder you think as you do. I am no priest's or pope's "child." They are my brothers. They are no better or worse than I am, in God's eyes.

For those of a proper mindset, the priesthood is the most fulfilling vocation a man could ask for.

Men don't ask for it; they are called to it. And it doesn't take "a proper mindset." It takes grace from God. Many priests have lousy mindsets, yet remain priests.

[sinkspur]

That's a heck of an inflamatory statement to be putting out there without proof. Please provide....

I've seen it, and heard much about it from two priests in my diocese who work in Guatemala.

In fact, they say it is common enough to not even warrant a raised eyebrow among the faithful.

[Aliska]

You know what is in the next life?

I certainly do not. By faith, Christians are bound to operate on certain premises.

[Steve_Seattle]

"if the Catholic Church had been more accepting of [masturbation] it wouldn't have all these lawsuits."

So, according to you, the thought process of these priests was, "I have sexual desire, but it's a sin to masturbate, so therefore I'll molest children and have sex with married women and nuns." That does not seem very credible.

[Bluntpoint]

"I certainly do not. By faith, Christians are bound to operate on certain premises."

Faith is great, but God also gave us intellect.

It is not a great intellectual exercise to see that celibacy is not working. Great concept, but not working.

Only the most intellectual gymnasts view it otherwise.

[eastsider]

We know that there's a cause and effect relationship between smoking cigarettes and lung problems, so IMO, when you smoke, you assume the risk. No such cause and effect relationship exists, however, between celibacy and sexual behavior, disordered or otherwise.

[Antoninus]

No wonder you think as you do. I am no priest's or pope's "child." They are my brothers. They are no better or worse than I am, in God's eyes.

And it's no wonder you think as you do. Where's the humility, sink? I certainly don't consider myself the equal of any priest, who has put aside marriage and family for the lifelong service of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was not worthy of the calling.

Men don't ask for it; they are called to it. And it doesn't take "a proper mindset." It takes grace from God. Many priests have lousy mindsets, yet remain priests.

You're right. My phrasing was poor. Yours was better.

[Antoninus]

I've seen it, and heard much about it from two priests in my diocese who work in Guatemala. In fact, they say it is common enough to not even warrant a raised eyebrow among the faithful.

Good, I figured it was just anecdotal. I was worried that you had a big pile of legitimate evidence...

[Chancellor Palpatine]

But you expect and demand it of your clergy, demeaning those who can't cut it at some point in their career, correct?

[Bluntpoint]

"Good, I figured it was just anecdotal. I was worried that you had a big pile of legitimate evidence..."

And then you would do what?