CHURCHES OF INDIA- TIME TO QUERY

A startling Interview with a candid and outspoken Catholic ex-Clergyman from Kerala India, by Haridas Appukutty Columnist and Freelance Journalist.
What is Really happening inside Catholic Churches- and a tail piece on the grisly tales from the dark Side of Indian Churches. Perhaps the Christians need to be helped with understanding this universal affliction of an outdated God idea and its fiends in frock- abusing its own laity thanks to the tactful support of Indias corrupt Political establishment and a compromised media. CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA FACING IDENTITY CRISIS PRIESTS AND NUNS FREELY ENGAGE IN SEXUAL ABUSE

I would say to a great extent our nuns are not emancipated women. They are often kept under submission by the fear of revenge by priests. Thats how the priests get away with whatever humiliation they heap upon them. It is a pitiable situation from which somebody has to liberate them,

Cardinal Vithayathil

Cardinal Vithayathils outspoken view on nuns appears in Straight from the Heart, a biography on him penned by Father Paul Thelakat, spokesperson of Syro Malabar Church and editor of Sathyadeepam The biography says nuns in India are humiliated by priests and they live in fear and time has come to free the nuns from the pitiable situation they are in.

Shocking revelations by former priest upset the Christian clergy

A couple of years ago, Sister Jesmi, a nun who retired as professor in a womens college in Kerala left the Catholic Church and wrote the book Amen: Autobiography of a Nun which exposed the life of Christian Priests and Nuns.

Recently father K P Shibu after serving as priest in Vincentian Congregation of the Catholic Church for 24 years quit the Church and wrote the revealing book The Heart of a Priest (Oru Vaidikante Hrudayamitha) exposing the inner secrets of life in a monastery. In his book, he reveals that sexual perversion and lust for power and

money are rampant among the clergy. The hunger for power and money makes them corrupt, cunning and cut throat.

The book claims that 60% of priests had had illicit sexual relationships and instead of showering compassion and love, the messengers of God unhesitatingly take advantage of the poverty and helplessness of women, orphaned children and shamelessly abuse them.

He uncovered that all sorts of sexual perversion, including homosexuality and watching blue films, is taking place among the priests and nuns, who are supposed to be celibates. Most of the confessions made by priests and nuns relate to their sexual perversions. The book narrates incidents of priest students abusing children to gratify their pleasure. . The open confessions made by former members of the clergy about priest-sainthood life have become heated topics for discussion among the different factions of the Catholic Church. Sri K P Shibu spoke at length to Pradeep Krishnan in an exclusive interview:

1.Why did you quit the church? What were the reasons?

I quit the Church due to the constant persecution and humiliation meted out to me. I was completely dissatisfied with functioning of the Church in matters of sex and handling of finance. I could see several priests/nuns freely engaging in sexual abuse, ridiculing the confidence given by the people. Since the priest and nuns are low paid, they easily become prey to malpractices and even indulge in sex trade. While they force celibacy on laity, they indulge in sexual perversion.

2.What are your views on religious conversions?

Religious conversions are made to assert the supremacy of one religion over the other. At the core, every religion is the same as they all propagate the message of God in its own way. There is no valid reason for converting people. Only after change of religion, one will realize that there is nothing special in other religion except the name of God and the mode of worship.

3.How do you view the so called Divine retreat centers such as Muringoor, Potta, etc, functioning in Kerala, which attract large crowds. What is really happening there? There are allegations of sexual harassment, mental torture and even murder.

The managers of such retreat centres, who are priests, aim at sexual gratification and accumulating wealth. The over emphasis of the concept of sin create guilt in the minds of devotees, compelling them

to dance to the tune of priests and nuns. The Catholic Church is a pioneer in marketing the concept of sin. In order to make the Charismatic movement, which utterly failed, a profitable venture, the clever and cunning priests over emphasized the concept of sin. The information/details gathered during confessions are later used to blackmail the confessed. The innocent women who come seeking protection of God are sexually abused by priests and such criminal acts are hushed up with the help of local police. Any one who opposes them are mercilessly killed. But all these anti-social activities are suppressed with bureaucratic, political and religious influence of the Church.

4.We hear a lot of stories of sexual harassment committed by Christian priests of Europe and America (abusing children, women, gay activities, etc). Such stories in India are hushed up by the powerful clergy. What are your views?

It is a fact that in India also priests and nuns are engaged in illicit sexual acts. Gays and lesbians are common in many congregations. In fact, there are children of priests and nuns in orphanages run by the Church. In the West, the civil society takes up such abuses to courts, compelling the clergy to pay compensation to the victims. The pathetic situation is that in India the civil society and human right organizations are reluctant and fearful to take up the cases to courts. The so-called saintly persons influence the victims not to take up these acts to courts and bully them to pardon and forgive.

5.It is often alleged that persons like you and Sr.Jesmy went out of the Church as you were not able to cope up with the rigid structure of the clergy. What are your views?

The structure of Catholic Church forced me to come out of it. In the name of religion, they were engaging in all sorts of misdeeds. No other sect, except the Catholics, insists on celibacy of its clergy. Sister Jesmy and I were victims of a corrupt system. The Catholic Church was against us because we exposed the corrupt system.

6.In Kerala, discussion among the Christians is taking place about the need for a Church Act. What are your views on the matter? Is it proper to allow the Bishops and priests absolute control over the Church property without any checks?

The Church Act has to be passed immediately. Otherwise the looting of money and property by the cunning clergy would continue unchecked. The government should take over all the aided educational institutions, which are run as minority institutions, so that the clergy could not make a business out of it. The idea of majority and minority are dividing the people belittling the concept of one nation. The clergys role should be limited to spiritual matters and temporal aspects to be left to the believers. The assets of the Church should be managed only by the people of the community and not by the priest and bishops. They should not be the owners of the institutions or the Church. At present the material wealth of the Church is managed and controlled by the Canon law, formed by Pope who is the head of the State of Vatican. This is against the Indian

Constitution. How can citizens of this country be allowed to follow the laws of a foreign country?

7.Many Christian groups allege that there is Christian persecution in India, Particularly North India. In many incidents like Jhabua it was later proved that they were criminal incidents and not part of any hidden agenda! But still the church hierarchy continues their diatribe against Hindu organizations? Your views?

Conversion to Christianity makes no difference in a person except the change of name and mode of worship. The Christian clergy, in order to seek funds from abroad, make the false allegation that Hindu tribes are persecuting them. It is a fact that foreign agencies are contributing heavily to Mission dioceses in the name of evangelization and conversion.

8.Even while raising a hue and cry on some unfortunate isolated incidents occurred in North India, the clergy is totally silent on the killings and persecution of nuns and others taking place in different Christian monasteries in Kerala?

This clearly indicates that their hands are not pure. The missionary activities are now centred on making money to live a lavish life. At present the youth who join the Church are motivated not by the love of Jesus or His message, rather they are interested in having a cozy life

9.The priesthood, especially in Christianity has now changed into politicians, wielding absolute power and control the entire society. Can we ever hope for liberation of the laity from the clergy?

The Catholic Church runs educational institutions and other enterprises to wield power and to influence people. The clergys entry into politics too is aimed with this. Now the worth of the enterprises managed has become mind blogging. Majority of the Christians realize that the clergy is after money and power but they are helpless. Let us hope that the situation will change in course of time.

10.Do you think the church in India is facing a crisis of Identity? Is the church able to absorb the very ancient and yet perpetually modern spiritual heritage of India in its real sense?

The Church in India can never compete with the essence of Hinduism, which is a way of life. That was why the Christians even under the colonial rule could not march forward and convert the land. Relating with Hinduism, Christianity face an identity crisis. Christianity still doesnt accept the fact that essence of all religions is the same. The caste system prevalent in Hinduism compelled many to change their religion. In course of time, Christians will definitely understand that the essence of all religions is the same and there is no need to covert one. It is welcome that some State Governments have passed anti-conversion laws to stop the exploitation of the poor, illiterate and the downtrodden.

11.The Church has now become a huge commercial enterprise, by running Industry, Hospitals, shopping complexes, schools etc. How much spiritually can we expect from these organizations?

It is true that the Church has become a huge commercial enterprise. The clergy is interested only in making money and profit. The socalled charitable institutions run by the Church neither file tax returns nor pay proper salary to its employees. Government should either take up the administration of these organizations or bring in effective legislation to curb the malpractices. All Indians should be considered only as citizens and not as Hindus, Muslims, Christians etc. and has to be treated equally.

12.The Church, particularly the Catholic Church is facing a crisis in Europe and USA and they target the third word countries for a rich harvest. Will this exclusive thrust given to proselytisation make divisions and conflicts in a tradition bound indigenous social setup?

The churches in Europe and USA are in a crisis due to declining number followers. Churches in these countries look forward to Eastern Countries and Africa hoping rich harvest. Money and material are pumped heavily to allure people. Such activities would definitely create tensions in society. It is a fact that the tribal people of India are targeted condemning their custom, practices and religion. While Hinduism has permitted them to retain their identity, Christianity has fully destroyed their roots. This creates tensions between Christians and indigenous people.

13.During the last 100 years, Christianity has been promoted in India by the successive colonial powers. Many Christian countries in the west provided unceasing flow of finance and personnel. The cost of the enterprise over the years is mind-boggling. Yet Christianity has failed to reap a rich harvest among the Hindu heathens - Why?

Christianity utterly failed in India because of the greatness of Hinduism. Christians, even under the colonial rule could not march forward and convert people en-masse. Christianity in India is facing an identity crisis. Even though they tried to exploit the caste system to the maximum, they failed to reap a rich harvest among the Hindu heathens. Hindus should work for the eradication of caste system and bring equality, then Hinduism will shine forever and nobody will quit it, how big the offer is.

AmenAutobiographyofaNun,bySisterJesme,allegessexualabuseandcorruptionin KeralasCatholicChurch

Former nuns autobiography alleges that sexual abuse and homosexuality is very high in the Catholic Church in Kerala, India. The book comes in the wake

of a spate of sex scandals, nun suicides, and murders that shook Keralas clergy.

The Catholic Church in Kerala, India, which has barely recovered from the Sister Abhaya murder case, allegedly murdered by two priests and a nun, finds itself in another controversy. 52-year-old Sister Jesme, a former nun from Kerala, has blown the whistle on the alleged sexual abuse that nuns have to face in convents. Sister Jesme has written a book Amen Oru Kanyasthreeyude Atmakatha (Amen an autobiography of a nun,) that talks about the sexual harassment that she faced in the convent at the hands of both priests and nuns. At a retreat for novices, I noticed girls in my batch were unsettled about going to the confession chamber. I found that the priest there asked each girl if he could kiss them. I gathered courage and went in. He repeated the question. When I opposed, he quoted from the Bible which spoke of divine kisses. In her book, Sister Jesme has asserted that she first came face-toface with sexual abuse when she was a Novitiate. She says in her book, At a retreat for novices, I noticed girls in my batch were unsettled about going to the confession chamber. I found that the priest there asked each girl if he could kiss them. I gathered courage and went in. He repeated the question. When I opposed, he quoted from the Bible which spoke of divine kisses.Sister Jesme has alleged that another time, a nun forced her to have sex with her. I was sent to teach plus-two students in St Maria College. There, a new sister joined to teach Malayalam; she was a lesbian. When she tried to corner me, I had no way but to succumb to her wishes. She would

come to my bed in the night and do lewd acts and I could not stop her, she has written in her book, Amen an Autobiography of a Nun. Back in his room, he tried to fondle me and when I resisted, got up and asked angrily if I had seen a man. When I said no, he stripped himself, ejaculated and forced me to strip.

Amen: Autobiography of a nun has infuriated Kerala Citing another incident of sexual trauma that she had to face, Sister Jesme says that it happened when she had gone to Bangalore for a refresher course. She writes, I was told to stay at the office of a priest respected for his strong moral side. But when I reached the station, he was waiting there and hugged me tight on arrival. Later in the day, he took me to Lalbagh (a garden) and showed me cupidstruck couples and tried to convince me about the need for physical love. He also narrated stories of illicit relations between priests and nun to me. Back in his room, he tried to fondle me and when I resisted, got up and asked angrily if I had seen a man. When I said no, he stripped himself, ejaculated and forced me to strip.

Sister Jesme has also described the mental torture that novices are subjected to. She said that she was not allowed to go home when she heard of her fathers death, and was able to see her fathers body just before his funeral. She was told by the superior sisters that she was lucky to have been able to at least see her fathers body, unlike many senior sisters.

The Open Air Rock Cross in front of the Syro Malabar Catholic Church- Martha Mariam Church Kuravilangad Dr. Sister Jesme also refers to the corruption and the politicisation of religion prevalent in the Catholic Church. Thirty-three years cannot be penned down in 180 pages but there are points the I want to make about the capitation fee, the quarrels that happen within the church, about the homo-sexuality, the hetero-sexuality, she says. The mental torture was unbearable. When I questioned the churchs stand on self-financing colleges and certain other issues, they accused me of having mental problems. They have even sent

me to a psychiatrist. There are many nuns undergoing ill-treatment from the order, but they are afraid of challenging it. The church is a formidable fortress, she adds. The Catholic Church, of course, has reacted in its usual inimitable, unoriginal way. Sister Jesme has been denounced as mentally ill, and her Amen: Autobiography of a Nun has been termed as a book of trivialities. Sister Jesme has alleged that the Church alternately tried to bribe her not to write the book, and threaten her. She writes, One sister said that she is going to sit in the corner of the chapel and pray the rosary so that all my books will be burnt and no person will be able to read it. I said let us wait and see whose prayer will God hear. In the book, Sister Jesme refers to the helplessness that nuns face when they are sexually abused in a convent. When a woman is molested, sexually harassed, will she speak out? Only one out of a thousand will speak out. So think of nuns! They will never speak out. They fear that their nun-hood will be lost, said Sister Jesme. Her allegations are in line with the scandals that have plaguing the Catholic Church in Kerala. A suicide note that accused another nun of sexual harassment

Photo: Sister Anupa Mary On August 11, 2008, Sister Anupa Mary committed suicide in St. Marys convent, in Kollam. She left a suicide note that accused a senior nun, in the convent, of sexual harassment.

In a fit of uncharacteristic originality, the Superior of St. Marys convent denied the allegations by saying that sexual abuse is impossible because the nuns sleep in a cubicle which is only 6 feet high.

And two orphans try to kill themselves.. On August 26, 2008, two girls living in the Nithya Sahaya Matha Balika Mandiram, an orphanage for girls, tried to commit suicide. The orphanage is part of the Holy Cross order in which Sister Anupa was ordained. The two girls who had consumed poison and were admitted in a hospital run by the church gave a rather garbled explanation. They said that an apprentice priest Benedict spoke to them in a humiliating tone when he was counselling them and also told them that he had come to know that they were not good girls. Another girl who was also present at the counselling session told the Kerala State Womens Commission the priest had only blessed them by putting his hands over their heads and told them to be good girls. And another suicide Six months later, on February 11, 2009, Sister Josephine who lived in the The Daughters of Mary convent, in the Syro-Malankara archdiocese in Thiruvananthapuram, committed suicide. It was alleged that it was abuse at the hands of other nuns that forced Sister Josephine to take her own life. Unsurprisingly, a press release from the archdiocese said that Sister Josephine was being treated for depression. Under-age sexual exploitation Going back a few years, in 1995, a parish priest in the Changanacherry archdiocese, allegedly entered into a two-year sexual relationship with a 15-year old school girl who gave birth to

his child in1998. A case of rape and abduction was registered against the priest. Another murder, and another nun who spoke out In 1998, a nun from the Sacred Heart Convent in Kozhikode district was murdered. Kerala Police had said that they suspected a sexual motive behind the murder. In October 2008, a 60-year-old nun belonging to the Congregation of Daughters of Mary Convent, Anchal, alleged that young nuns from the convents were being forced to have abortions and that priest and nuns were having limitless affairs. She further alleged that a nun Serenna Jacob has committed suicide because she could not handle the trauma. The nun is now in a mental hospital in Thodupuzha. Her nephew has alleged that she has been forcibly admitted to the hospital by the Convent authorities. Sister Jesme has said that writing the book has been cathartic for her. I wanted an outlet for my trauma. Itll help me start my second life afresh. The society has the right to know whats happening to the sisters, Sister Jesme, ex-principal of St. Marys College in Thrissur, Kerala, has said. Sister Jesme quit the Congregation of Mother Carmelite (CMC), in August 2008. She hopes the book will trigger a change in the life of the religious. She told the media, I have just opened a window, only one window, and through that window if they see dust or dirt inside the convent, at least in a corner, and if one sister cleans the corner of the convent, then my book has been rewarded.

Article Courtesy-

Friday, February 20, 2009, 14:35

http://www.dancewithshadows.com/politics/amen-autobiographyof-a-nun-sister-jesme/

"Society does not go down because of the activities of criminals, But because of the inactivities of the good people." - Swami Vivekananda

1. rasixa said on Friday, March 27, 2009, 16:32

Maybe someone read this biography related? A biography on Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) says nuns in India are not emancipated women and they are often kept under submission by the fear of revenge by priests. Cardinal Vithayathils outspoken view on nuns appear in Straight from the Heart, a biography on him penned by Father Paul Thelakat, spokesperson of Syro Malabar Church and editor of Sathyadeepam. The biography says nuns in India are humiliated by priests and they live in fear and time has come to free the nuns from the pitiable situation they are in. I would say to a great extent our nuns are not emancipated women. They are often kept under submission by the fear of revenge by priests. Thats how the priests get away with whatever humiliation they heap upon them. It is a pitiable situation from which somebody has to liberate them, says the 82-year-old cardinal.

The biography says: A big complaint of our nuns is that the diocesan priests are treating them like servants, making them wash their clothes, prepare their food, wash the churches, etc and that too without getting paid. These are all unjust ways of treating the women religious.