MOTU PROPRIO VOS ESTIS LUX MUNDI, CBCI GUIDELINES AND THE STATE LAW ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT
DEALING WITH SEXUAL ABUSE BY CLERICS
Keywords:
CBCI Guidelines, Feminist Christian Theology, Plural Frameworks of Governance, Sexual Abuse by Clerics, Vos estis lux mundi, Women in the BibleAbstract
Recent Catholic Church documents on sexual abuse, that is, the CBCI Guidelines on dealing with Sexual Harassment at the Workplace, and the Pope’s Motu Proprio Vos Estis Lux Mundi are a measure of Christian theological praxis bearing witness in a patriarchal society ridden with various axis of discrimination. There is now a specific tripartite framework for dealing with sexual harassment of women by clerics, under a polycentric governance comprising of The Holy See, the Indian Catholic Church, and the Indian/State Government. When each of the component frameworks is compared and contrasted, one can see the infusion of Christian theological perspectives. It is argued that feminist Christian theology has the potential to birth a praxis that can hold a liberating potential for women to experience sexual harassmentfree lives.
References
A. MacErlean, “Motu Proprio,” in The Catholic Encyclopedia, New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10602a.htm
K. Tapsell, “Chronology of Church Response to Clergy Sexual Abuse of Children, in Potiphar’s Wife: The Vatican Secret and Child Sexual Abuse,” Adelaide: ATF Press, 2014.
A. Almeida, “#MeToo at Religious Workplaces: A Tale of Two Places,” O Heraldo, 01-11-2018, also accessible at https://alzulaijgoa.com/2018/11/02/metooat-religious-workplaces-a-tale-of-two-places/
‘Historic’ Day as India Outlaws ‘Triple Talaq’ Islamic Instant Divorce. 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/31/ triple-talaq-india-hails-historic-day-as-parliament-outlaws-islamic-instant-divorce.
Dorothy C. McLean, “Pope’s New Motu Proprio on Reporting Sexual Abuse has the ‘Fatal Flaw’ of Clericalism: Theologian,” Life Site, 24-05-2019 https://www. lifesitenews.com/news/popes-new-motu-proprio-on-reporting-sex-abuse-has-thefatal-flaw-of-clericalism-theologian accessed on 27-05-2019.
V. Saldanha, “Pope’s New Laws on Sex Abuse Cannot Heal Gaping Wound,” UcanIndia, 29-05-2019, in http://m.ucanindia.in/news/popes-new-laws-on-sexabuse-cannot-heal-gaping-wound-40337.html accessed on 30-05-2019
B. Fernando, “Epilogue: Themes for Healing,” in Power v/s. Conscience: The Excommunication of Fr. Tissa Balasuriya, An Asian Human Rights Commission Publication, 1997.
Pratiksha Baxi, “It is Not the Job of Courts to Arrange ‘Compromise Marriages’ of Rape Survivors,” 26th June, 2015, https://thewire.in/gender/it-is-not-the-job-ofthe-courts-to-arrange-compromise-marriages-of-rape-survivors, Accessed on 1st May, 2019.
R. Hirschl and A. Shachar, “Competing Orders? The Challenge of Religion to Modern Constitutionalism,” The University of Chicago Law Review 85, 2 (March 2018)
Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, http://www.vatican.va/ content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazioneap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html, accessed on 30th May, 2019.
Beth Backes, “#churchtoo: Three Changes we must Make now,” June 5, 2018 https://influencemagazine.com/practice/churchtoo (I have put the website from which it is ultimately instead of the website where it is referred) Accessed on 1st May, 2019.
V. Thampu, “Priest Predators: Who’ll Bell the Cat?” in The New Indian Express 0303-2019 http://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/2019/mar/03/priestpredators