Report says priests sexually abusing nuns
WebPosted Tue Mar 20 15:17:54 2001

ROME - There is a report that says some Roman Catholic priests and missionaries are raping nuns and forcing them to have abortions if they become pregnant. The Vatican has acknowledged the report which says the Holy See has known about this for years.  The chief spokesperson for the Vatican, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, said, "The problem is known about and is restricted to a certain geographical area."  Though the Church doesn't specify the area, it's believed to be in Africa.  But the report, published in La Repubblica newspaper in Rome cites cases in 23 countries, including the United States, Brazil, the Philippines, India, Ireland and Italy.  The newspaper quotes the report as saying in one religious community, 20 of the nuns were pregnant at the same time.  In another case, a mother superior complained several times to the local bishop that priests in the diocese had made 29 of her nuns pregnant.  The bishop's response? He fired the mother superior.  Though some of the reports were filed with the Vatican years ago, the newspaper says the Church has done little about the situation.  In one case, a priest raped a nun then ordered her to have an abortion. She died from complications following the abortion and the priest officiated at her funeral mass.  The report says priests seek out nuns to have sex with "for fear of contacting AIDS with prostitutes."  Navarro-Valls says the Church "is dealing with the issue in collaboration with the bishops" and the heads of religious orders.  Written by CBC News Online staff