Madam, - It is reported in your edition of August 28th that one in 20 Swiss Catholic priests are or have been in a sexual relationship. I want to question the notion of "relationship". My Ph.D. research being undertaken in the UK and Ireland into clergy's sexual "relationships" (among all denominations) shows that most of these clergy engage women for whom they are pastorally responsible for in these unethical, unprofessional sexual activities.
It is readily accepted that doctors, psychiatrists and social workers should never engage their clients in any sexual involvement, if they do we call it "professional misconduct" and some situations may constitute criminal sexual assault. For some bizarre reason, when Catholic clergy engage sexually with women whom they are helping as part of their ministry, it is seen as an "affair". Most of the 30 Catholic women in my research were going to see the Priest for spiritual direction or couselling while in some crisis or difficulty. The priest was in a professional role and had no business engaging the women in a sexual involvement. These are not "relationships", but cases of professional sexual exploitation and misconduct.
Even if the woman is a parishioner and not seeing the priest individually for some help it still constitutes misconduct, as the priest is her pastor and his duty is to be pastor and only pastor, not sexual partner. He breaches his professional boundaries and all ethical codes. (He also breaches Canon Law, for which there are sanctions, but bishops turn a blind eye!)
Most of the women I have supported were profoundly damaged by Catholic clergy "using" them, ensuring secrecy, even abandoning them when things got "hairy" with the Hierarchy. None of these priests had any intention of treating the woman as other than "a bit on the side", though they have skill in behaving in a so-called "loving" way. Certainly they were not intending to leave priesthood to offer a loving and open relationship.
I call on the Church to discipline Catholic priests who breach all professional boundaries and engage their parishioners in a sexual involvement. I call on the Church to implement strong guidelines and procedures to tackle this exploitation of vulnerable women. I call on the Church to treat such cases in the same way as we treat such actions by doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists - as a gross violation of professional ethics. - Yours, etc.,
MARGARET KENNEDY, Founder/Chair, MACSAS (Minister and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors), PO Box 46933, London E8 1XA.