Formative Perspectives on the Sexual Abuse Crises in the Catholic Church
Keywords:
Priests, Clergy, Sexual Abuse, CrisesAbstract
Morality can be understood as ethical behavior- philosophical, professional, Christian and more specifically, Catholic. There are many crises present in the Catholic Church worldwide and sexual abuse is one of them. Catholic morality determines a practicing Catholics decision making regarding more than just faith issues. The predominant crises for clergy in India appear to be workaholism leading to spiritual dryness, financial mismanagement, and misconduct. The issue of sexual abuse by clergy is real, relevant and complex and this phenomenon in the priesthood, and in society at large, is a complex issue that does not admit of simple understandings or simple solutions. This seems to have arisen because of the blurring of lines between what is right and what is wrong. Sexual abuse by individual priests is often varied, and the victims include both genders. This article treats the issue through the social sciences research available and the various Church documents that address this issue directly or indirectly.
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