Rome investigating sexual abuse of nuns

Christian Century, April 4, 2001

The Vatican confirmed March 20 that it is acting on allegations that some priests, mainly Africans afraid of contracting AIDS from prostitutes, have regularly forced nuns to have sex with them. Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro Valls said in answer to questions from reporters that the Holy See "is tackling" the problem, which he said is confined to a limited geographical area.

The National Catholic Reporter quoted a report that an American nun, Sister Maria O'Donohue, sent to the Vatican in 1995. The story was picked up by the Italian Catholic news agency Adista and the Rome newspaper La Repubblica. O'Donohue's report cited cases of sexual abuse of nuns in 23 countries, including the United States, Brazil, Colombia, India, Ireland, Italy, New Guinea and the Philippines, but Navarro Valls indicated that most of the cases were in Africa.

Vatican sources noted that celibacy is a problem in Africa where men with many wives and children have high social status. They noted that Pope John Paul II has talked frequently about monogamy and the priestly vow of celibacy during his visits to Africa. African culture also makes it difficult for young postulants and nuns to refuse requests for sex, especially from an older and respected man, they said.

O'Donohue was quoted as telling of one case in which a priest forced a nun to have an abortion and then celebrated mass for her when she died. She also said that when a mother superior complained to the local bishop that 29 of her nuns were pregnant, the bishop replaced her instead of acting on the problem. --RNS