Comments on: Literary references to clergy sexual abuse

By: Clare

Clare — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:55:38 +0000

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.”

By: Clare

Clare — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:52:55 +0000

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.

By: Clare

Clare — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:55:32 +0000

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.

By: Oz Atheist

Oz Atheist — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 01:36:00 +0000

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.