Author:
Publication: Rediff on Net
Date: March 21, 2001
The Vatican admitted on Tuesday
that some priests and missionaries were forcing nuns to have sex with them.
The admission follows a report in the la Repubblica daily.
The Vatican claimed the issue was
''restricted to a certain geographical area'' but the report cited cases
in 23 countries, including India, the United States, Brazil, Philippines,
Ireland and Italy.
The report claimed that in some
cases the priests and missionaries were ''committing rape and forcing victims
to have abortions'', while some nuns were ''forced to take the contraceptive
pill''.
Chief Vatican spokesman Joaquin
Navarro-Valls stated: ''The problem is known about and is restricted to
a certain geographical area. The Holy See is dealing with the issue in
collaboration with bishops, the Union of Superiors General (grouping of
heads of male religious orders) and the International Union of Superiors
General (heads of female religious orders.''
The report said most incidents of
sexual abuse against nuns were in Africa.
