Religious superiors asked to more freely speak about abuse

ROME (ITALY)
Associated Press

May 2, 2019

By Nicole Winfield

The head of the international umbrella group of nuns said Thursday that religious sisters are increasingly speaking out about sexual and other forms of abuse by clergy, but that their superiors must be better trained to understand the problem and respond.

Maltese Sister Carmen Sammut said superiors must become more at ease speaking about abuse so that the sisters under their care are comfortable bringing cases to their attention. She said training courses are underway or planned and that a key issue is a proper understanding of “obedience” within religious life.

Sammut spoke with reporters Thursday ahead of the triennial assembly next week of the International Union of Superiors General, the umbrella group of female religious superiors representing more than 450,000 religious sisters throughout the world.

She said the issue of abuse of nuns will be raised in unofficial sessions, while the protection of children and “vulnerable adults” is on the official agenda.

The organization, known as UISG, made waves last year when it publicly denounced the “culture of silence and secrecy” surrounding sexual abuse in the church and urged sisters who had been abused by clergy to report the crimes to police and their superiors.

Sister Sally Hodgdon, the organization’s vice president, said training, protocols and awareness programs were needed because sometimes even the sisters themselves don’t understand what abuse is.

“In some countries, women think that if a person abuses her it is OK because they have authority over her,” she said. “In some areas, it is a lack of knowledge, lack of their own confidence in themselves and that they are worth more than they think they are worth.”

Sammut, who attended Francis’ sex abuse prevention summit in February, said that after the summit she was able to more freely speak with the sisters in her own order about the problem because she had the language to use that she didn’t necessarily have before.

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