Literary references to clergy sexual abuse
As part of my website, I have a list of literary references to clergy sexual abuse. The reason I began the list was because I was tired of devout churchgoers telling me it was a modern phenomenon, and rare. My contention was that it was not only longstanding, but so much a part of the social psyche that casual references to it abound throughout the ages. So then I had to prove that (for the sceptics, natch!).
In modern times, the ultimate example is undoubtedly The Thorn Birds, although arguments run rife as to whether it really constitutes abuse (see the above link to my site for further discussion of that). But I found references from Oscar Wilde’s era (1800s), Chaucer (1300s) and right back to 120AD. So now I’m inviting anyone who comes across such a reference in their reading to add it here as a comment, to help me build my website list.
June 27th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Hi Clare, came across your site via AV’s blog last night and just again when I was looking for info on the dead body visiting for WYD.
Anyway, your link to references is broken, so I couldn’t check if you had copies of the Crimen Sollicitationis and an excellent review of it by Thomas Doyle?
Apologies for dropping a link to my blog on my first visit, but I think you will find my post on Crimen Sollicitationis useful, with links to quite a few documents and reports.
I read your story of your abuse, very distressing. I hope you future travels are happier.
June 27th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Hi Oz Atheist
Thanks for the link to your post about the Crim. Sol. I know about it, though hadn’t included it in my list because it’s specifically an internal church document, whereas what I’m looking for are references to clergy sexual abuse in popular literature (read popular in inverted commas – I’m not sure Chaucer qualifies in the strict sense of the word!), demonstrating that its existence is common knowledge among the general public.
Thanks also for the alert that the link was broken – just a typo in the html, and it’s fixed now.
March 5th, 2010 at 8:52 pm
Music hall song from c.1940s:
Who’s that kicking up a noise?
My little sister.
Who’s that giggling with the boys?
My little sister.
Whose lemonade is laced with gin?
Who taught the vicar how to sin?
Knock on her door and she’ll let you in
My little sister.
March 5th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Shakespeare, Hamlet: Act 1, Scene 3
“Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,
Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,
Whiles, like a puff’d and reckless libertine
Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads.”