Celibacy: The Hypocrisy Of The Catholic Church

Canon Law 277 states “clerics are obliged to observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the kingdom of heaven and therefore are bound to celibacy” (Canon Law Society of America). Clergy members have to abstain from sexual activities to remain pure in the eyes of God. Even though celibacy is a major requirement of priesthood, multiple studies have been able to conclude that less that half of the Roman Catholic clergy are actually practicing celibacy (Sipe). Therefore the majority of the clergy of a major religion are breaking a cardinal rule. The rule breaking brings to light two ideas: the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church and the criminality of some of these proceedings. The Church is hypocritical as the teachings demand celibacy

Of the members who break Canon Law 277, the majority partake in legal sexual activities. Yet there is a small minority who partake in illegal sex; one example is child sexual abuse. In 2002, the Boston Globe released multiple reports disclosing that 130 people had come forward with tales of how former priest John J. Goegan had fondled or raped them during his time in Boston (Rezendes). The articles tell the tale of Goegan molesting or raping many children in his thirty year career. The sheer magnitude of the people coming forward outraged many Americans. Catholic parishioners felt betrayed; the thought that hundreds of children could have been protected from abuse infuriated many Americans and brought the topic to the forefront of the national conversation for years. Overall, clerical sexual abuse of children is a problem because it is widespread, affects a large, vulnerable population, and can be

According to the Australian report, the average all of all victims is 11.4 years old; the study also found that the average age is younger for girls than for boys. Children are so vulnerable to these illegal advances because they idolize the priests at their churches and see them as God’s representative on earth. Children also are less likely to be believed by parents or others when voicing their abuse because many people believe that all priests are celibate; however the data shows this is not the case. As predators, many officials use their “power” to take advantage of the children. This abuse is shown to leave lasting psychological scars on the victims, as 20 percent of children who were abused, consider suicide at some point (van Wormer). The psychological effects of abuse on the children are well documented, considering that about a fourth of those who were abused consider suicide, a major sin in Catholicism. The young boys who idolized the priests grow up to feel extreme anger as they were unable to confide in anyone during this time. In fact, boys are the most common target because of the intimate connection they have to the Church as alter-boys. In fact, according to a report written by Karen J. Terry, a Professor in the Department Criminal Justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 81 percent of the victims are male. The statistic is