ローマ法王、フランスの司祭が修道女を性奴隷にしていたと認める
ローマ法王、フランスの司祭が修道女を性奴隷にしていたと認める
ローマ法王、フランスの司祭が修道女を性奴隷にしていたと認める
ローマ法王、フランスの司祭が修道女を性奴隷にしていたと認める
ローマ法王フランシスコ1世は5日、男性聖職者が修道女を性的に暴行する問題が継続中で、性奴隷扱いしていたケースもあると認めた。フランシスコ法王が、司祭による修道女の性的暴行を公に認めるのは、これが初めてと思われる。
訪問先のアラブ首長国連邦（UAE）から帰国中の法王は、専用機内で同行記者団に対し、フランスにあった修道会で神父たちが修道女たちを「性奴隷」扱いしていたため、前任者の法王ベネディクト16世が修道会を閉鎖させたことを認めた。
「ベネディクト法王は勇気をもって、女性修道会を解散した。というのもこの修道会の女性たちは、修道会を創設した神父たちによって性的奴隷と言える状態に置かれていたので」と法王は述べた。
フランシスコ法王はその上で、カトリック教会として問題に取り組み続けているものの、司祭による修道女の暴行は「今も続いている」と話した。法王によると、修道女の性的虐待は「特定の、主に新しい修道会」で行われているという。
法王庁のアレッサンドロ・ジソッティ報道官はこの後、米CBSニュースに、この問題の修道会はフランスにあったと明らかにした。
昨年11月にはカトリック教会の修道女が集まる国際組織が、自分たちの発言を食い止める「沈黙と秘密の風習」を非難していた。
法王庁の女性向け雑誌は2月号で、司祭に暴行された修道女が人工中絶を余儀なくされるケースもあると告発していた。カトリックの教義は人工中絶を禁止している。
この雑誌記事によると、2017年秋にアメリカを皮切りに世界的に広まった性暴力被害者を支援する「#MeToo（私も）」運動によって、前よりも多くの女性聖職者が虐待の経験を明かすようになっているという。
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47134033
Pope admits clerical abuse of nuns including sexual slavery
Pope Francis has admitted that clerics have sexually abused nuns, and in one case they were kept as sex slaves.
He said in that case his predecessor, Pope Benedict, was forced to shut down an entire congregation of nuns who were being abused by priests.
It is thought to be the first time that Pope Francis has acknowledged the sexual abuse of nuns by the clergy.
He said the Church was attempting to address the problem but said it was "still going on".
Last November, the Catholic Church's global organisation for nuns denounced the "culture of silence and secrecy" that prevented them from speaking out.
The Pope's comments come amid long-running cases of sexual abuse of children and young men by priests at the Church.
Child sex abuse and the Catholic Church
Profile: Pope Francis
What did Pope Francis say?
Speaking to reporters while on a historic tour of the Middle East on Tuesday, the pontiff admitted that the Church had an issue, and the roots lay in society "seeing women as second class".
He said that priests and bishops had abused nuns, but said the Church was aware of the "scandal" and was "working on it", adding that a number of clerics had been suspended.
"It's a path that we've been on," he said.
"Pope Benedict had the courage to dissolve a female congregation which was at a certain level, because this slavery of women had entered it - slavery, even to the point of sexual slavery - on the part of clerics or the founder."
Pope Francis said sexual abuse of nuns was an ongoing problem, but happened largely in "certain congregations, predominantly new ones".
"I think it's still taking place because it's not as though the moment you become aware of something it goes away."
Where is the abuse said to have taken place?
The female congregation dissolved in 2005 under Pope Benedict was the Community of St Jean, which was based in France, Alessandro Gisotti of the Vatican press office told CBS News.
In 2013, the Community of St Jean admitted that priests had behaved "in ways that went against chastity" with several women in the order, according to the French Roman Catholic newspaper La Croix.
In a separate case in India last year, a bishop was arrested over allegations that he raped a nun 13 times between 2014 and 2016.
Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who headed the diocese in Jalandhar in the northern state of Punjab, has denied the accusations.
In Chile, reports of abuse of nuns carried out by priests led the Vatican to launch an investigation last year. The women were reportedly removed from the order after highlighting the abuse.
Last year, the Associated Press news agency reported cases of abuse in Italy and Africa.
What have women in the Church said?
Just days ago the Vatican's women's magazine, Women Church World, condemned the abuse,saying in some cases nuns were forced to abort priests' children - something Catholicism forbids.
The magazine's editor, Lucetta Scaraffia, said Pope Francis's acknowledgement of the abuse "can be of some help", but warned that the Church needs to act.
"If the Church continues to close its eyes to the scandal... the condition of oppression of women in the church will never change," she wrote.
The magazine said the #MeToo movement meant more women were now coming forward with their stories.
Last year, French website Le Parisien reported the case of "Christelle" (in French), a former nun whose name was changed to preserve anonymity.
Christelle said she had suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a priest of her congregation in France between 2010 and 2011.
"His gestures became more and more inappropriate," she said, adding: "But he kept going... until the day he raped me.
"He was unable to control himself... he had a split personality."
