From: People For Peace
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News
BY CHRISPIN ONYANGO
NAIROBI-KENYA
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2012
When a Canadian bishop whose diocese was rocked by clerical sex abuse crises told the Synod of Bishops that the new evangelization must address the reality of distrust and disappointment the scandal left in its wake, his pleas were not taken seriously yet this is the emerging problem that must be addressed urgently.
[image]Bishop Brian J. Dunn of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, leaves a meeting of the Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization Tuesday at the Vatican. Dunn told the synod Friday the new evangelization must address the reality of distrust and disappointment caused by the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic church-photo courtesy (CNS/Paul Haring)
With the sex abuse crisis, Catholics have experienced “a great disorientation that leads to forms of distrust of teachings and values that are essential for the followers of Christ,” Bishop Brian J. Dunn of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, told the synod Oct. 12, adding that the Catholic Church cannot ignore the need to find a way to “evangelize those who have been deeply hurt by clergy who have been involved in sexual abuse.
At the same time, the church needs to investigate the causes of the sexual abuse crisis and ensure measures are in place to protect children and vulnerable adults.
A perusal of recent books, articles and information from websites, reveal strong and generalized damaging assumptions about priestly celibacy in connection with sexual scandals. The focus is no longer in the West but also in Africa and the rest of the continents.
Sexual abuse in whichever dimension, is a symptom of dangerous sexual perversity and should be strongly condemned. That is why problems of ever sexual abuse by the celibates of the Roman Catholic Church should not be treated in isolation as they might be a sign of deeper problems the church or an individual is unwilling to face.
Generally, sexual abuse is a wide social moral problem not confined to a particular culture or class of people only. Sexual abuses have a long history with diverse global dimensions.
The assumptions about celibacy of the clergy are inexhaustible. Among the assumptions being saturated worldwide are that; Catholic priests, especially in Europe and America are sexual abusers of children and youth. One gets the impression that other Christian churches do not have sexual predators among their clergy or leaders.
The second assumption is that the celibate Roman Catholic Priesthood is non-biblical. However, it is openly debated that the abolition of celibacy or, if it is made optional by the Roman Catholic Church, sexual abuse of children, youth and women would become a thing of the past, both, within the church and society.
However, it is not mentioned anywhere, that priests also can be victims of lustful women and seductive girls. One gets the impression that all young girls and women are innocent, holy and angelic, incapable of sexually molesting and terrorizing priests.
In this case, it is purported that only men are sexual predators. Unfortunately, the mass media and other communication networks give sensational and exaggerated information with sometimes an outright bias; as long as such information is in public demand and interest, instead of being fair, objective and truthful.
I have to admit that there is something odd about the current interest of the mass media with respect to ecclesiastical weaknesses. It is definitely bordering in the frenzy, sensational and alarmist side. The impression is that journalists reporting on clerical abuses are the moral and ethical gurus of the society, its conscience, and prophets of righteousness.
Is it possible that some of these people have a hidden agenda? Are they for example, instigating a laity uprising; a revolution against the clergy? Fortunately, other journalists, information sources, etc. have begun to publish alternative insights on the situation of the church and its ministers since it is not true that all clergy sexually molest children or are involved in sexual abuses of any nature and that also some parents, relatives, doctors, teachers lure unsuspecting children and youth into anti-social immoral practices.
However, sexual scandals that have besieged the Roman Catholic clergy in the West have in one way or the other affected the Catholic Church in Africa. As St. Paul reiterates, “If one part is hurt, all the parts share its pain and vise versa (1 Cor 12:26).
Whoever responds to the call of Christ to serve a Roman Catholic priest, in essence accepts the conditions of living a celibate life from the onset. Osale, E. rightly observes that, “… the success of consecrated celibacy clearly depends on initial conviction and commitment by those who undertake it”.
But, to single out the 1 percent or 2 percent of such cases and publish websites, books describing all Roman Catholic priests, men and women religious as sexual perverts, defiles logic and human decency. This is an outright exaggerated with an open agenda of demoralization. I am not trying to condone sexual abuses of any type.
I admit that even a single priest or man and woman religious who is unfaithful to his/her commitment to God, in the vocation he/she has freely embraced, is quite damaging to the Church’s credibility. But it should be noted that from the bible and two centuries of church history, it is evident that the church is composed of both wheat and destructive weeds.
It is a church of saints and sinners, both living within the very core and bosom of the church. As St. John writes: “I f we say we have no sin we deceive and the truth is not in us….” (1 Jn 1:8-9). This is neither a justification nor a cover up of sin but the point is that the present unfortunate sexual scandals in the Church do not diminish the grace of God in rehabilitating and powerfully using these human earthen vessels in announcing God’s merciful love and forgiveness. And again, Jesus did not love Simon because he was perfect, but because he was so human.
Jesus did not choose Simon Peter to be the one to strengthen others because he was strong on his own, but because through Peter’s weakness, God’s grace could be visible. When we read about the life of Jesus with women, it is no surprise that Jesus loved and respected women.
They were His wonderful friends. He never viewed women as real and present dangers to His celibate state, in spite of the grumbling of the Pharisees and religious leaders of His time (Lk 7:37-43). The Gospel of St. John records an incident of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well near the town of Sychar as follows; “At that moment Jesus’ disciples returned, and they were greatly surprised to find him talking with a woman.
But none of them said to her, what do you want or asked him, why are you talking with her (Jn 4: 27-34). Common sense and my African culture background lead me to think that in both incidents the disciples and other people in the company of Jesus suspected Him and the women to have been sexually attracted to each other.
Their suspicions were totally unfounded. But, modern journalists would have, without thorough investigations, blown the whistle out of proportions, calling them scandalous and within no time, Jesus would have been branded a “womanizer.” Celibate priests as ministers therefore should learn to love and respect women as their special companions in the church’s mission.
In conclusion, the issue of sexual abuse should not be approached in isolation. It is part of a complex or multidimensional social and moral malaise. All social groups mare involved in it in one way or the other.
It is thus wrong to put blanket blame on a particular class: Roman Catholic Priests, for this sexual sickness. At the same time those celibates those celibates who are involved in sexual scandals should know that they are gravely hurting the Body of Christ, the Church and not only violating other people’s dignity but are betraying the trust the Church and the entire society has bestowed on them.
Chrispin Onyango is a theologian seminarian in Langata-he writes on religious, social and moral issues.
Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
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