IS THERE AN END TO THE TRAGEDY OF SEXUAL ABUSE IN CHURCHES?
By Dr Muhammad Solaiman
Pope Francis admits the sexual abuse in Catholic Institutions
Though sexual abuse has been going on in churches for decades, the Church has done its best to cover up scandals (1). However, the sexual abuse epidemic in the Catholic Church today has been publicized and can’t be covered up anymore. On his return from the United Arab Emirates, February 3-5, 2019, Pope Francis admitted to journalists the sexual abuse in Catholic Churches. He mentioned that Catholic priests and bishops have sexually abused nuns and even used them as “sexual slaves” (2).
The victims of the priests were forced to have abortions or to raise children not recognized by their fathers. A significant number of cases have been reported in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and other countries in Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia (3).
Indian nuns demanding justice for their fellow nun who was raped thirteen times by a bishop.
According to the Pennsylvania Grand Jury in 2018, more than 1,000 children in six dioceses had been molested by 300 Catholic priests over the past 70 years and were covered up by church officials. The Grand believed that the “real number” of abused children might be “in the thousands” (4). On the other hand, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) asked the Vatican for detailed information on the full extent of child abuse worldwide by priests, monks and nuns and how the Vatican prevents abusers from contacting additional children (5).
The sexual abuse of children is not only restricted to the Catholic Church. It is also widely practised by the clergy of the Greek Orthodox and Protestant churches. In 2007, the Associated Press revealed data from insurance companies which typically receive more than 260 reports every year of children under 18 years of age being sexually abused by members of Protestant Churches (6).
Gay-subculture also flourishes in most churches and even at the Vatican itself. One of the Amazon books written by the journalist Frederick Martel and released in February 2019, summarises a four-year study of sexual abuse in churches. Martel claims that 80% of the Vatican’s clergy are homosexuals and this includes the highest authority in the church. Among the most scandalous claims, is the “double life” of the Colombian Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, Pope John Paul II’s point man for marriage and family, who had relations with male prostitutes (7).
Some facts about monasticism
When did monasticism appear? Saint Anthony is considered the first monk who went into the wilderness about AD 270. Though he gradually gained followers they did not live as communities. In 346 St Pachomius decided to gather his disciples into a more organized community and he established the first Christian monastery in Egypt. Similar institutions were established throughout the Egyptian desert as well as the rest of the eastern half of the Roman Empire (8).
What is the motivation of Christians to the priesthood? Out of their love for God, Christians are motivated to give up all their desires and become priests and nuns. Though priesthood may succeed for a while, history tells that priests fail to continue and they fall into sexual misconduct.
Did Jesus practice monasticism? There isn’t a single verse in the Gospels in which Jesus commanded his followers to practice monasticism. Monasticism and priesthood were introduced after Jesus by several centuries as mentioned above. The Qur’an describes this fact in the following verse:
“But as for the monasticism, which they innovated (after Jesus); We did not prescribe it for them except [that they did so] seeking the approval of God. But they did not obscure it with due observation. So Weave the ones who believed among them their reward, but many of them are sinful “(Qur’an 57: 27).
Is there monasticism in Islam? Islam prohibits monasticism. Muslims are encouraged to stay in the mosque in solitude and devote themselves to worshipping God only during the last ten days of the fasting month of Ramadan. This short period of devotion energises Muslim’s spirituality and brings them closer to God.
Man and woman are two halves of a single soul
God says in the Glorious Qur’an: “It is He who created you from a single soul, and made from it its mate, that he may find comfort with her” (Qur’an 7: 189).
We learn from this verse that man and woman are partners. God created them from the same soul. Therefore, each alone can’t enjoy complete comfort, peace and tranquility without his/her soul partner.
The need for men and women to be together is innate, like their need for food and drink. They both need to enjoy mutual love, friendship, care, compassion and sympathy. Man and woman also need to share one another their dreams, expectations, secrets, pain and joy. They need to collaborate to face the unescapable turmoils of life.
Therefore, according to a Pew Research Center, 43 percent of married individuals were “very happy,” compared to 24 percent of the unmarried. Those results were consistent for all age groups and genders (9).
Man and woman need one another because they share a single soul.
Is there an end to the sexual abuse in Churches?
Unless the mutual needs of man and woman are met and satisfied through marriage, both would suffer from the turmoils of loneliness which might ultimately lead to forbidden sexual relations, as we see today in the churches.
We may, therefore, conclude that sexual abuse in churches will never end because Christians follow a celibacy law of priesthood which was devised by clerics between the third and fourth centuries. The church has to admit that the priesthood was introduced by humans who, in spite of their good will, make mistakes. The Church has to admit that priesthood is not prescribed by God or Jesus (PBUH), and it contradicts our human nature (Fitrah). Islam is a way of life prescribed by God, Who knows what satisfy our innate needs. Therefore, there is no priesthood in Islam.
References
1. Rashid, F., & Barron, I. (2018). The Roman Catholic Church: A Centuries Old History of Awareness of Clerical Child Sexual Abuse (from the First to the 19th Century). Journal of child sexual abuse, 27: 778-792.
2. Pope Francis acknowledges priests, bishops sexually abused nuns (2019), https://www.france24.com/en/20190205-vatican-pope-francis-nuns-priests-bishops-sexual-abuse-rape-catholic
3. Child sexual abuse, and the holy see, https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CAT/Shared%20Documents/VAT/INT_CAT_CSS_VAT_17113_E.pdf
4. Grand Jury Report reveals Over 300 “predator priests” Sexually Abused over 1000 Children in Pennsylvania (2018), https://www.bellanaija.com/2018/08/grand-jury-report-reveals-300-predator-priests-sexually-abused-1000-children-pennsylvania/
5. CRC – Convention on the Rights of the Child 65 Session (13 Jan 2014 – 31 Jan 2014), https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=851&Lang=en
6. Denney, A., Kerley, K., & Gross, N. (2018). Child sexual abuse in Protestant Christian congregations: a descriptive analysis of offence and offender characteristics. Religions, 9(1), 27.
7. Christopher White (2019). New book claims gay subculture flourishes at te Vatican (2019), https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2019/02/16/new-book-claims-gay-subculture-flourishes-at-vatican/
8. Christian monasticism, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_monasticism
9. Are we happy yet? (2006), http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2006/02/13/are-we-happy-yet/