Russia Today: Obligatory celibacy could have contributed to child sex abuse in the Catholic Church, a group of Australian archbishops has admitted, becoming the first-ever Catholic institution to publicly acknowledge the potential link.
What used to be mostly voiced by the critics of the church has now been, albeit cautiously, formulated by its leaders.
“Obligatory celibacy may also have contributed to abuse in some circumstances,” concedes the report, which was released on Friday by the Truth, Justice and Healing Council, which includes the archbishops of Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra and Adelaide.
The council’s conclusion is based on two years of research. Eight hearings were held, 50 witnesses’ testimonies were heard and 160,000 church documents examined.
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“We’ve got to ask the question about whether celibacy was an added and an unbearable strain for some,” the council’s chief executive, Francis Sullivan, said according to The Australian.
