by
Deal Hudson
Myth
#1 - Catholic priests are more likely to be pedophiles than other groups of
men.
This is
just plain false. There's absolutely no evidence that priests are more likely
to abuse children than are other groups of men. The use and abuse of children
as objects for the sexual gratification of adults is epidemic in all classes,
professions, religions, and ethnic communities across the globe, as figures on
child pornography, incest, and child prostitution make abundantly clear. Pedophilia
(the sexual abuse of a prepubescent child) among priests is extremely rare,
affecting only 0.3% of the entire population of clergy. This figure, cited in
the book Pedophiles and Priests by non-Catholic scholar, Philip Jenkins, is
from the most comprehensive study to date, which found that only one out of
2,252 priests considered over a thirty-year period was afflicted with
pedophilia. In the recent Boston scandal, only four of the more than eighty
priests labeled by the media as "pedophiles" are actually guilty of
molesting young children.
Pedophilia
is a particular type of compulsive sexual disorder in which an adult (man or
woman) abuses prepubescent children. The vast majority of the clerical
sex-abuse scandals now coming to light do not involve pedophilia. Rather, they
involve ephebophilia – homosexual attraction to adolescent boys. While the
total number of sexual abusers in the priesthood is much higher than those
guilty of pedophilia, it still amounts to less than 2 percent – comparable to
the rate among married men (Jenkins, Pedophiles and Priests).
In the wake
of the current crisis in the Church, other religious denominations and
non-religious institutions have admitted to having similar problems with both
pedophilia and ephebophilia among the ranks of their clergy. There's no
evidence that Catholic prelates are more likely to be pedophiles than
Protestant ministers, Jewish leaders, physicians, or any other institution in
which adults are in a position of authority and power over children.
Myth
#2 - The celibate state of priests leads to pedophilia.
Celibacy
bears no causal relation to any type of deviant sexual addiction including
pedophilia. In fact, married men are just as likely as celibate priests to
sexually abuse children (Jenkins, Priests and Pedophilia). In the general
population, the majority of abusers are regressed heterosexual men who sexually
abuse girls. Women are also found to be among those sexual abusers. While it's
difficult to obtain accurate statistics on childhood sexual abuse, the
characteristic patterns of repeat child sex offenders have been well described.
The profiles of child molesters never include normal adults who become
erotically attracted to children as a result of abstinence (Fred Berlin,
"Compulsive Sexual Behaviors" in Addiction and Compulsion Behaviors
[Boston: NCBC, 1998]; Patrick J. Carnes, "Sexual Compulsion: Challenge for
Church Leaders" in Addiction and Compulsion; Dale O'Leary,
"Homosexuality and Abuse").
Myth
#3 - Married clergy would make pedophilia and other forms of sexual misconduct
go away.
Some people
– including a few vocal dissenting Catholics – are exploiting this crisis to
draw attention to their own agendas. Some are demanding a married Catholic
clergy in response to the scandal, as if marriage would make men stop hurting
children. This flies in the face of the aforementioned statistic that married
men are just as likely to abuse children as celibate priests (Jenkins,
Pedophilia and Priests).
Since
neither being Catholic nor being celibate predisposes a person to develop
pedophilia, a married clergy wouldn't solve the problem ("Doctors call for
pedophilia research," The Hartford Currant, March 23). One has only to
look at similar crises in other denominations and professions to see this.
The plain
fact is, healthy heterosexual men have never been known to develop erotic
attractions to children as a result of abstinence.
Myth
#4 - Clerical celibacy was a medieval invention.
Wrong. In
the Western Catholic Church, celibacy became universally practiced in the 4th
century, beginning with St. Augustine's adoption of the monastic discipline for
all of his priests. In addition to the many practical reasons for this
discipline – it was supposed to discourage nepotism – the celibate lifestyle
allowed priests to be more independent and available. This ideal also called
diocesan priests to live out the same witness as their brothers in monastic
life. The Church hasn't changed her directives for celibacy, because over the
centuries she has realized the practical and spiritual value of the practice
(Pope Paul VI, On the Celibacy of the Priesthood;, Encyclical letter, 1967). Indeed,
even in the Eastern Catholic Church – which includes a married clergy – the
bishops are chosen only from unmarried priests.
Christ
revealed the true value and meaning of celibacy. Catholic priests from St. Paul
to the present have imitated Him in their total gift of self to God and others
as celibates. Although Christ raised marriage to the level of a sacrament that
reveals the love and life of the Trinity, He was also a living witness to the
life of the world to come. The celibate priesthood is for us a living witness
to this life in which the unity and joy of marriage between a man and a woman
is surpassed in the perfect, loving communion with God. Celibacy properly
understood and lived frees a person to love and serve others as Christ did.
Over the
past forty years, celibacy has been an even more powerful witness to the loving
sacrifice of men and women who offer themselves in service their communities.
Myth
#5 - Female clergy would help solve the problem.
There's
simply no logical connection between the deviant behavior of a tiny minority of
male clergy and the inclusion of women in their ranks. While it's true that
most statistics on child molestation show that men are more likely to abuse
children, the fact is that some women are also child molesters. In 1994, the
National Opinion Research Center showed that the second most common form of
child sexual abuse involved women abusing boys. For every three male abusers,
there's one female abuser. Statistics on female sex offenders are more
difficult to obtain because the crime is more hidden (Interview with Dr.
Richard Cross, "A Question of Character,", National Opinion Research
Center; cf. Carnes). Also, their most frequent victims (boys) are less likely
to report sexual abuse, especially when the abuser is a woman (O'Leary,
"Child Sexual Abuse").
There are
reasons why the Church cannot ordain women (as John Paul II has explained
numerous times). But that is beside the point. The debate about women's
ordination is completely unrelated to the problem of pedophilia and other forms
of sexual misconduct.
Myth
#6 - Homosexuality isn't connected to pedophilia.
This is
plainly false. Homosexuals are three times as likely to be pedophiles as
heterosexual men. Although exclusive pedophilia (adult attraction to
prepubescent children) is an extreme and rare phenomenon, one third of homosexual
men are attracted to teenage boys (Jenkins, Priests and Pedophilia). The
seduction of teenage boys by homosexual men is a well-documented phenomenon. This
form of deviant behavior is the most common type of clerical abuse and is
directly connected to homosexual behavior.
As Michael
Rose shows in his upcoming book, Goodbye! Good Men, there's an active
homosexual sub-culture within the Church. This is due to several factors. The
Church's confusion in the wake of the sexual revolution of the 1960s, the tumult
following the Second Vatican Council, and the greater approval of homosexual
behavior in the culture at large created an environment in which active
homosexual men were admitted to and tolerated in the priesthood. The Church
also came to rely more on the psychiatric profession for screening candidates
and for treating those priests identified as having problems. In 1973, the
American Psychological Association changed its characterization of
homosexuality as an objectively disordered orientation and removed it from the
Diagnostic and Statistic Manual IV (Nicolosi, J., 1991, Reparative Therapy of
Male Homosexuality, 1991; Diamond, E., et. al., Homosexuality and Hope,
unpublished CMA document). The treatment of deviant sexual behaviors followed
suit.
While the
Church's approach to those who struggle with homosexual attractions has been
compassionate, she has been consistent in maintaining the view that
homosexuality is objectively disordered and that marriage between a man and
woman is the proper context for sexual activity.
Myth
#7 - The Catholic hierarchy has done nothing to address pedophilia.
While we
can all agree that the hierarchy hasn't done enough, this claim is nevertheless
false. When the Church's Code of Canon Law was revised in 1983, an important
passage was added: "The cleric who commits any other offense against the
sixth precept of the Decalogue, if the offense was committed with violence or
threats, or publicly or with a minor who is under 16 years [now extended to 18
years], must be punished with just punishments, not excluding expulsion from
the clerical state" (CIC 1395:2).
But that
certainly isn't the only thing the Church has done. The bishops, beginning with
Pope Paul VI in 1967, issued a warning to the Catholic faithful concerning the
negative consequences of the sexual revolution. The pope's encyclical letter,
"On the Celibacy of the Priests," addressed the question of a
celibate priesthood in the face of a culture crying out for greater sexual
"freedom." The pope affirmed celibacy even as he called on bishops to
take responsibility for "fellow priests troubled by difficulties which
greatly endanger the divine gift they have." He advised the bishops to
seek appropriate help for these priests, or, in grave cases, to seek a
dispensation for priests who could not be helped. In addition, he urged them to
be more prudent in judging the fitness of candidates for the priesthood.
In 1975,
the Church issued another document called "Declaration on Certain
Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics" (written by Joseph Cardinal Joseph
Ratzinger) that explicitly addressed, among other issues, the problem of
homosexuality among priests. Both the 1967 and 1975 documents addressed kinds
of sexual deviancy, including pedophilia and ephebophilia, that are is especially
prevalent among homosexuals.
In 1994,
the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse issued guidelines to the nation's then 191
dioceses to help them develop policies to deal with the problem of sexual abuse
of minors. Almost all dioceses responded and developed their own policies
(USCCB document: Guidelines for dealing with Child Sexual Abuse, 1993-1994). By
this time, pedophilia was recognized as a disorder that could not be cured, and
a problem that was becoming more prevalent due to the increase of pornography. Before
1994, bishops took their cue from experts in the psychiatric profession who
believed pedophilia could be successfully treated. Priests guilty of sexual
abuse were sent to one of several treatment facilities across the United
States. Bishops often relied upon the judgments of experts in determining
whether priests were fit for ministry. This doesn't mitigate the negligence on
the part of some in the hierarchy, but it does offer some insight.
In response
to the recent scandals, some dioceses are setting up special commissions on
child abuse, as well as victims' advocacy groups; and they are officially
acknowledging that any legitimate allegation of abuse must be dealt with
immediately.
Myth
#8 - The Church's teaching on sexual morality is the real problem, not
pedophilia.
The
Church's teaching on sexual morality is rooted in the dignity of the human
person and the goodness of human sexuality. This teaching condemns the sexual
abuse of children in all its forms, just as it condemns other reprehensible
sexual crimes such as rape, incest, child pornography, and child prostitution. In
other words, if this teaching were lived out, there'd be no pedophilia problem
at all.
The notion
that this teaching somehow leads to pedophilia is based on a misunderstanding
or deliberate misrepresentation of Catholic sexual morality. The Church
recognizes that sexual activity without the love and commitment found uniquely
in marriage undermines the dignity of the human person and is ultimately
destructive. As far as celibacy is concerned, centuries of experience have
proven that men and women can abstain from sexual activity while living
fulfilling, healthy, and meaningful lives.
Myth
#9 - Catholic journalists have ignored the pedophile problem.
As any
reader of CRISIS knows, this claim is patently false. Our October 2001 cover
story featured "The High Price of Priestly Pederasty," an expose on
the scandal that wouldn't erupt into the mainstream press for another three
months. You can read our full article at: http://www.crisismagazine.com/october2001/index.html.
And we
weren't the only ones who have covered the pedophilia/pederasty problem. Charles
Sennot, author of Broken Covenant, Rod Dreher of The National Review, CRISIS
co-founder Ralph MacInerny, Maggie Gallagher, Dale O'Leary, the Catholic
Medical Association, Michael Novak, Peggy Noonan, Bill Donohue, Dr. Richard
Cross, Philip Lawler, Alan Keyes, and Msgr. George Kelly have all covered the
issue exhaustively.
Just
because the mainstream media have chosen to ignore our work doesn't mean the
work hasn't been done.
Myth
#10 - Requiring celibacy limits the number of men as candidates for the
priesthood, resulting in a high number of sexually unbalanced priests.
First of
all, there isn't a "high number of sexually unbalanced priests." Again,
the vast majority of priests are normal, healthy, and faithful. Every day they
prove themselves worthy of the trust and confidence of those entrusted to their
care.
Secondly,
those who do not feel called to a life of celibacy are ipso facto not called to
be Catholic priests. Indeed, most men are not meant to be celibate. However,
some are – and of those, some are called by God to the priesthood.
A priestly
vocation, like a marriage, requires the mutual and free consent of both
parties. Thus, the Church must discern that a candidate is indeed worthy and
fit mentally, physically, and spiritually to commit to a life of priestly
service. A candidate's desire for the priesthood does not constitute a vocation
in and of itself. Spiritual and vocation directors are now even more attuned to
the character flaws that would make an otherwise qualified man an unfit
candidate.