The Sacrilege of Sexual Abuse by the Clergy

 

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Chastity has never been, nor will it ever be, a problem within the Roman Catholic Church. No, the scandalous “deviant” and “predatory” problems facing the Church today lies with those in the clergy (as well as those living in religious communities and in the general laity) who willfully choose to lead “unchaste” lives.

One doesn’t need to have a PhD in Catholic theology to understand that any and all sexual activity committed by the clergy is, in and of itself, “abusive”.

It has no bearing as to whether the abuse is related to:

• Self-abuse (masturbation),

• Pedophilia (sexual abuse / molestation of pre-pubescent girls and boys)

• Ephebophilia (sexual abuse / same-sex molestation of post-pubescent boys)

• Sextortion (extorting money or sexual favors from someone)

• Fornication (sexual intercourse between people not married to each other)

• Adultery (sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse)

• Etcetera ...

And, it doesn’t matter if the act committed was “consensual” or not; as one cannot escape the fact, especially someone in the clergy, that any and all such actions are considered by the Church to be “spiritually” incestuous and vehemently condemned.

Whether the act in question is categorized as criminal or rationalized away as being merely sinful, those within the clergy who break their vow / promise of Chastity heap the full weight of the guilt of Sacrilege upon themselves; on top of the penalty associated with the act committed itself.

Sacrilege is in general terms the violation or injurious treatment of a sacred object. And what "object" could ever be considered more sacred than that of human being’s body, well-being, and soul.

Concerning the current scandal of sexual-abuse of children by certain members of the clergy ... in October 2017, at the first "World Congress on Child Dignity in the Digital World” (Internet) held at the Gregorian University in Rome, Pope Francis officially and formally stated that "to abuse children is a sacrilege."

At the same Congress, Vatican State Secretary Cardinal Pietro Parolin stated: "To disparage infancy and to abuse children is for the Christian, therefore, not only a crime, but also … sacrilege, a profanation of that which is sacred, of the presence of God in every human being."

n short, this 2017 “Congress” confirmed that sexual abuse (molestation and/or exploitation) of children, by those using the internet, is a serious “crime” as well as a mortal sin. The seriousness of that heinous “crime” increases exponentially when considering that the problem is not just related to “sexual predators” on the internet but to those hiding within the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church who, wittingly or unwittingly, are harboring these criminals (sexual predators) within its Dioceses.

In 2002, after the disclosure that more than 4,000 priests in the United States had been accused of sexual abuse of minors since 1970, the U.S. Bishops convened a meeting in Dallas, Texas, in an attempt to devise a plan to root out of the priesthood those who have abused minors and to, protect children and to care for the victims / survivors.

To say the least, the meeting wasn’t successful.

Reaching a consensus on what was to be considered a “credible accusation” against a priest was the first fatality as the definition was so vague that even a “false accusation” could be considered as credible.

Then there was the problem that the Bishops wanted to remain “exempt” from being investigated themselves as, for them, this was a matter concerning priests only.

Then there was the shame they wanted to conceal that 4 out of 5 accusations of sexual misconduct of the 4,000 priests in question related to Ephebophilia (sexual abuse / same-sex molestation of post-pubescent boys).

In short, these Bishops, in 2002, refused to focus on the root cause of the problem; which was and still is the corrupt culture of abuse and cover-up found within certain seminaries and diocese that tolerated priests living double lives and cheating on their vocations with men and women; and, in some instances, boys and girls.

Father Thomas Berg recently wrote, “We can’t prevent the sexual abuse of minors or vulnerable adults by clergy while habitual and widespread failures in celibacy are left unchecked.”

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as well as many other Bishops have gone on record as stating that Bishops must no longer be exempt from examination, and that all accusations of sexual abuse and harassment by the clergy must be vigorously investigated. They also stated that the cancerous prevalence of an unchaste same-sex subculture in the clergy “must” be addressed.

Father Roger J. Landry states that "To eradicate sexual abuse among the clergy, a known, trustworthy, effective, accountable reporting system is a must, and at present, it doesn’t exist."

Father Landry goes on to say:

“Chastity, however, isn’t the problem; unchastity is. Abuse of power isn’t the main issue, but, rather, the sexual abuse that that power was used to commit and keep hushed. That’s why we need more than revised “codes of conduct” that state the obvious; the Ten Commandments, and the Church’s moral theology, are pretty clear, after all.”

“Fidelity is the only adequate response to infidelity, and holiness to sin and corruption. Just as there should be no room in the priesthood or episcopacy for those who would harm the young, so there should be no room for those who are determined to live corrupt double lives.”

Many Catholics are shaken by the recent revelation of these abhorrent scandals in the news media and openly question how God couldpermit such abuse to exist / thrive within His clergy, His Church?

The answer is straightforward. When God created us He provided us with the “free will” to choose our way in life. And in so doing He provided us with the “free will” to obey or betray him.

"Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones." - St Luke 17:1-2