The clerical abuse of Women Religious

The clerical abuse of Women Religious
Fr. Shay Cullen
03 September 2023

The shocking truth about clerical sexual abuse of minors and Women Religious is revealed in a research by Missio Aachen released in 2020 that shows how widespread it is by members of the clergy. The pressures on Women Religious never to complain is immense when they are told by priests that suffering in silence is a great virtue. Complaining of abuse invites retaliation and even expulsion from their congregation, the research reveals.

These are secret crimes now being exposed around the world to the shame and embarrassment of the members of the institutional church. It is only when the truth is revealed and accountability and justice is done with abusers convicted and jailed will abuse end and the victims/survivors be free.

Clerical abuse is so prevalent it seems that priests, called representatives of God once ordained, have special entitlement to abuse minors and Women Religious and enjoy impunity from accountability. This is now changing and a few abusive priests are being held accountable. However putting them on trial is meeting strong resistance from some bishops and priests that protect clerical abusers.

Some church authorities believe they and their priests are above the law of the State and some even flout the instructions of Pope Francis to report abuse. Denial and cover up of crimes by protecting the abusers is common practice, according to the Women Religious who responded to the research questionnaire. This criminal abuse and its cover-up is causing many good people to lose faith and trust in the institutional hierarchical church and thousands have abandoned attending Mass and the sacraments.

The true Christian believers live spiritual lives of virtue and continue to be disciples and followers of Jesus of Nazareth and respect his moral teaching on the rights and dignity and importance of children and women.

When the sexual abuse of children and Women Religious causes people, especially children, to loose faith in Jesus himself, that is a most grave and abominable sin.

Revelations and investigations into clerical abuse by civil authorities in dioceses in several countries showed that thousands of children have been abused by priests. Now the latest investigation and report on the abuse being suffered by Women Religious is equally shocking and disgusting. The denial and cover-up by church authorities and bishops of this abuse has eroded trust, reverence and respect for clergy.

The vast majority of clergy are upright, good, spiritual and dedicated priests and brothers helping the unfortunate members of society especially where government fails the people. However, they mostly remain silent perhaps because they fear retaliation by their superior or bishop if they report clerical child abuse or abuse of women religious.

The Gospel teaching of Jesus of Nazareth is clear that any one that abuses a child and turns them away from trusting in him must be held accountable by tying a millstone around his neck and that person be thrown into the deep sea. Make no mistake, Jesus saw child abuse as a heinous crime. (Matthew 18: 6-7) (Mark 9:42) (Luke:17:2)

The bishops seem to ignore these strong Gospel teachings of Jesus. Doing so is a denial of Jesus himself. He said to accept one of these little ones is to accept him. The opposite can be true. Abusing one child is to abuse Jesus.

How can child abuse and Women Religious abuse be ignored, covered up and tolerated on a massive scale in the church and it not be branded as a hypnotic institution failing to protect the most vulnerable of all?

Although this is changing as civil authorities are bringing more abusive clergy to trial and convicting them. In Cagayan in the northern Philippines, the first Catholic priest to remain behind bars accused of child rape and sexual assault and allegedly using video voyeurism to blackmail a 15-year old child victim is a first. He admits the acts but says it was consensual despite the alleged blackmail.

Another shocking first recently is the dismissal of an upcoming trial of former US CardinalTheodore McCarrick, 93, of Washington DC. He was defrocked by Pope Francis after it became clear he abused adults and children. Despite widespread knowledge in church circles of his abusive actions, he rose to positions of power and influence.  The judge ruled that he is unfit to stand trial because of dementia. He has denied the charges for decades.

The research by Missio, a reliable, renowned, trustworthy international German Church-based organization, has gathered much evidence from Women Religious in Asia and Africa of their experiences of being sexually abused by clergy.

Based on a professionally designed questionnaire that was circulated to women’s and men’s religious congregations and institutions, the results are disturbing and enlightening. They poise a dramatic challenge to bishops and clergy to respect, uphold, treat as equals in rights and dignity and allow more Women Religious be empowered, independent and free from sexual harassment and abuse by clergy and to bring abusers to justice. The short questionnaire had six core questions and a covering letter. It was designed “to give the respondents the maximum space to describe their experiences as well as their personal view in their own words.” Missio received 101 completed questionnaires.

The report says: “From the 101 completed questionnaires, 91 percent were completed by women, mostly by sisters belonging to a religious order and nine percent by men, all diocesan priests or priests belonging to a religious order.”

The majority of the respondents gave the issue of abuse of women religious a very high level of importance. When asked what the Church was doing to address the issue the overall answer was: not much was being done.”

In summary, the respondents reported the reasons for this inaction by church authorities because of a culture of denial, a sense of entitlement and a policy to conceal crimes and cover up. Some respondents said speaking out out against abuse is taboo. One respondent said “it is not possible to speak openly about exploitation, oppression, sexual assault etc. without having to fear acts of reprisal or reputational damage.” Others said “efforts to consider cases of abuse within the church (e.g. to carry out a study on the subject), are thwarted”.

Another group said “priests (that abuse women religious) are not sanctioned but assigned to another parish.” Another convent of nuns said “after the abuse in a religious convent, we sent a letter to all the authorities concerned, no authority signaled or sent an acknowledgement of receipt.” Others said “the local church is not ready to speak up openly as it would be a scandal; rather they even try to dissuade those who have the courage to do so.” Yet another said, “experiences of violation and exploitation that women religious encounter in their lives is not acknowledged as abuse.”

Besides, it works to the advantage of local Church authorities to keep women religious where they are because they remain a silent and silenced lot. Report abuse in total confidentiality to [email protected] or call and text Whatsapp +639228768621.

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