Former nun tells of sex and suffering inside Indian convent
Catholic Church stung by autobiography recounting harassment and abuse
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Independent Minds
ALAMY
Kerala nuns at prayer. An ex-nun who wrote about life in a Kerala convent says she fears for those still living there
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A former nun's tell-all story which details illicit relationships, sexual harassment and bullying in the convent where she spent three decades is causing ructions in the Catholic Church in the south Indian state of Kerala.
In Amen – an autobiography of a nun, Sister Jesme says when she became a nun she discovered priests were forcing novices to have sex with them. There were also secret homosexual relationships among the nuns and at one point she was forced into such a relationship by another nun who told her she preferred this kind of arrangement as it ruled out the possibility of pregnancy.
"I did not want to make this book controversial. I want to express my feelings and to explain what happened to me... I want people to know how I have suffered," she told The Independent last night, speaking from the town of Kozhikode. "People say that everything is OK, but I was in the convent and I want them to know what goes on. I have concerns for others."
Sister Jesme, who quit last year as the principal of a Catholic college in Thrissur, alleges senior nuns tried to have her committed to a mental institution after she spoke out against them.
In her book, she says that while travelling through Bangalore, she was once directed to stay with a purportedly pious priest who took her to a garden "and showed me several pairs cuddling behind trees. He also gave me a sermon on the necessity of physical love and described the illicit affairs that certain bishops and priests had". The priest took her to his home, stripped off his clothes and ordered her to do the same.
She also alleges that while senior staff turned a blind eye to the actions of more experienced nuns, novices were strongly punished, even for minor transgressions. She was not allowed to go home after she learnt her father had died. "I was able to see [the body of] my father barely 15 minutes before the funeral," she writes. "The [response] of the superiors was that the then senior sisters were not even lucky enough to see the bodies of their parents."
When she resigned as a college principal, she claimed convents had become "houses of torture", saying: "The mental torture was unbearable. When I questioned the church's stand on self-financing colleges and certain other issues, they accused me of having mental problems. They have even sent me to a psychiatrist. There are many nuns undergoing ill-treatment from the order, but they are afraid of challenging it. The church is a formidable fortress."
The allegations are not the only controversy to rock the Catholic Church in Kerala. Last summer, a 23-year-old novice committed suicide and left a note saying she had been harassed by her Mother Superior. Reports suggest there have been a number of similar suicides. And in November, police in Kerala arrested two priests and a nun in connection with the killing of Sister Abhaya in a notorious 1992 murder.
Last night, a spokesman for the Syro-Malabar order of the Catholic Church, Dr Paul Thelakkat, dismissed Sister Jesme's allegations as a "book of trivialities". "It's her experiences, but these are things that might creep into a society of communal living," he said. Asked if the church would be shocked by the allegations, he replied: "Absolutely not. The church knows about these things."
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Comments
His shameless, corrupt attitude speaks powerfully about his values. Bother him not with such complaints. Where is his sense of outrage at the manipulation of young women, and the cruelty of superiors toward a father's death? Not only soul murder but actual murder and suicides call forth no immediate, comprehensive investigation from his point of view! My God, what a travesty not only of justice, but common decency. God will not be mocked forever, Sir.
Families need to rescue their daughters from these convents, and Catholics need to withdraw all monetary support pending resolution of such depravity.
And yes, I shall pass word about the book here in the US.
As a practising Catholic, I am ashamed these allegations are raising their ugly heads once again. My advice to the high and mighty Catholic hierarchy is that these allegations and misdemeanours should be thoroughly investigated and the miscreants punished, rather than be transferred from parish to parish or convent to convent, as it is very often happens, where the miscreant carries on as 'normal' practising his/her deviancy on other unsuspecting and innocent victims.
Catholic hierarchy, wake up! Should you wish to clean up, please institute drastic changes at the recruiting process and weed out the unsuitable novice nun/priest at the very earliest opportunity, during the training process.
This dreastic change is absolutely essential if the Catholic Church wishes to maintain its moral authority. As it is very often the case, purely sanctimonious utterings devoid of concrete proposals to clean-up, will only perpetuate a declining Catholic church, with no moral authority.
As a very committed Catholic, I will be very sad if the latter happens.
Dr.Paul Thelakkat's comments as 'trivialities and experiences of communal living' speaks volumes of his attitude. In my opinion he is totally insensitive and ignorant and I wonder whether he understands what suffering these poor women underwent. Senior Bishops/Archbishops, Vatican please take note!!!
As someone who was at the receiving end of this by a Jesuit priest in Glasgow in the 60's while receiving instrution, I know so.
I was twenty one, and if it hadnt been for my strength to say this was not right, it would have gone on. It was only years later when all this came to light that I reported it to the church. No one at the time believed me and indeed said I was in the wrong to say any such thing. In my view sexual abuse within the churches is more rife than acknowledge.
Needless to say I left the RC congregation years ago.
if you were to dig up the grounds of monasteries/nunneries you will surely find thousand sof baby skeletons.
The hypocracy of the church is limitless while urging abstinence on the religious, they practised
licence
surrendering your child to this kind of life at an age when it is too young to make an informed choice is child abuse
For example...
Therefore be on your guard against the Jews, knowing that wherever they have their synagogues, nothing is found but a den of devils in which sheer self-glory, conceit, lies, blasphemy, and defaming of God and men are practiced most maliciously and veheming his eyes on them.
-Martin Luther (On the Jews and Their Lies)
Moreover, they are nothing but thieves and robbers who daily eat no morsel and wear no thread of clothing which they have not stolen and pilfered from us by means of their accursed usury. Thus they live from day to day, together with wife and child, by theft and robbery, as arch-thieves and robbers, in the most impenitent security.
-Martin Luther (On the Jews and Their Lies)
The Western Church has developed highly complex defence mechanisms to protect itself from being perceived in a bad light.
As a committed Catholic it is shameful to see such behaviour, and certainly sweeping it under the carpet is NOT a solution. I pray these people are brought to justice, but even more as their souls will be damned for EVER.
However, 'bad' people do not make the whole of the Church throughout the ages. There are many thousands upon thousands who instituted universivites, hospitals, and other charitable organisations ... but for a few who infiltrate to carry out evil doings and a few who are weak.
You who are so perfect, cast the first stone!!!
Luther is very much mistaken as it was Christ who instituted the Catholic Church and ONLY the Catholic Church. But most are too proud to seek the TRUTH.
And they wonder why everyone is denouncing religion....
I can't help but compare the starkly different histories of Eastern and Western Christianity. In the West, schism appears to have defined Church growth.
In contrast the Eastern (Orthodox) Church remains in full communion with the 15 autocephalous units that make up the whole, substantiating the claim to fullness of church and unbrokeness in apostolic tradition.
I am a practicing Catholic and yet when I see such arrogance on the part of the clergy towards women in general and towards the laity, I can't help feeling a combination of anger, depression, and just utter disbelief that even at the "diosese level, there isn't knowledge of what is going on! The number of lawsuits against the diosceses for the "sanctioned" and "acknowledged" transferring of pediophile priests by the bishops has led to a "purification" of the church at all levels. Hitting an institution at the "pocketbook" is the best way to teach and purifiy the church of such immoral behaviors! Now, we have knowledge of what is happening to many of the sisters within India.....the cultural perceptions of women along with the decades of millions of "ultasound abortions of the female sex" has shown that the "ingrained attitudes" towards women have even persisted even in the "most trusted institution....The Church! What St. Francis of Assissi faced, what Martin Luther tried to point out.....the abuses/arrogance of the Church is now, once again, being pointed out....both ingrained attitudes/practices of the clergy towards the less powerful, i.e . women and children! I see many, if not most of the laity starting to demonstrate, first at a personal level, a distrust, and a reserve towards the actions of many of the clergy at the highest levels. Keep remembering what Jesus said....."It is better that such men/women have a stone tied around their necks then to cause these little ones to be led astray! The Last time I remembered, Jesus taught that the Church is composed of all believers, and that is clergy and laity alike! The laity and laity organizations have the RIGHT and the DUTY to remind the clergy AT ALL LEVELS of the responsibility towards the Church! There should NEVER be any reason for arrogance and a "two-tiered" power structure even within the Catholic Church, or ANY Church! As far as the comment about "religion" being a cancer....check your facts.....MORE people have been murdered in the name of "communism/atheism" within this past century than at any time in history! The Gulags during Stalin, the Khymer Rouge "re-education", the "Cultural Revolution" not to mention the "agricultural exeriments" by Mao that killed millions through starvation! It looks like history is being conveniently ignored! Communism/Atheism has used every "convenient rationale" to pursue their political/ideological agenda! When you have NO moral absolutes then everything and anything goes. Isn't that what "moral relativism" is all about??
Yeah, thought so.
used to defame good people. The truth is, when people actually practice the Catholic faith, have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and are filled with the Holy Spirit, this kind of thing doesn't happen!
Look at Mother Teresa. Look at John Paul II. The world needs the examples of holy men and women
like these. So fix the problem, but lay the blame on sinful humanity, and don't generalize as if the whole Church is to blame.
It is often hard for them to get help because of the abuse of the ''vow of obedience''
These abuses are commonplace in convents and seminaries. I find it appalling.
Sometimes, I find it hard to deal with these bad people with respect.
What I noticed though is that each congregation"s abuses always run against their charism.
If these are demonic in nature, satan must be getting effecient.
It is really sad that the hierarchy is shrugging off the whole matter.
They should at least weed the culprits out of the congregations.
May God protect Sis Jesme and all victims like her.
bobbi
Something fundamental has to change. Are such nun and religious organizations holding us in the name of God or the fear of being controversial ? Is it the same thing for all religions /community or do they just follow the 'beat the ghoose' concept ? Sad.