Vatican Data Links Catholic Child Rape to Homosexuality

In an attempt to support Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone’s claim that homosexuality is to blame for the Catholic Church’s systematic abuse of children, the Vatican has presented some statistical data collected by the Congregation for the Doctrine the Faith. The data suggests that about 10% of reported cases were paedophilia in the strict sense, while 90% were cases of sexual attraction in adults to adolescents. About 60% of these cases referred to abuse where both perpetrator and victim were of the same sex.

It is in the Vatican’s interest to make this an issue of homosexuality. If successful, the church can make the case that their opposition to gay rights is a method of tackling child rape.

We must not be fooled by this data. The most obvious explanation for these figures is the fact that Catholic institutions are strictly gender segregated. Natural and healthy sexuality is suppressed and normal relationships between adults are made impossible by the Vatican’s policy of celibacy and its homophobic theology. The problem is not that some men fall in love and have sexual relationships with other men; the problem is the political and theological policies that prevent clergymen from being open about their romantic feelings and sexual relationships. Whenever the Vatican talks about homosexuality, we must put focus back on rape and abuse.