Comments on: Amen – Autobiography of a Nun, by Sister Jesme, alleges sexual abuse and corruption in Kerala’s Catholic Church

By: JGN

JGN — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:33:49 +0000

Clergy sexual abuse and power struggles are an open secret in Kerala for the past several years. One Christian girl had told me about 30 years back the sarcastic remarks of her Uncle when she wanted to become a Nun (he told her, if you want to give birth to a child, you can very well do the same at our home)! The peddlers of faith (of all hues) are number one crooks. Instead of making poor girls nuns, give them quality education and allow them to lead normal life. That would be the best the Churches can do for the Community.

By: Fatima

Fatima — Sun, 03 May 2009 09:16:50 +0000

i m a muslim but was convented. one of d sr has deeply touched my life. i always dreamt of becoming like her but “I CANT HAVE BLIND FAITH BCOZ I VE BLESSED A MIND TO THINK AND PONDER” also i doubted confession and celibacy although apparentlyit appears so holy and pious. this account of sr jesme’s has furthered strengthened my faith. i only wonder that my dearest teacher might also be suffering such inhuman brutalities. how can i help her bcoz everytime i want to have a disussion of this sort all she tells me is to have blind faith. may the lord bless us all. also plz can anyone tell me as to where i can get theenglish version of this book.

By: Janani

Janani — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 06:41:18 +0000

It is good attempt to open the eyes of the Church. But we should realize that because of one or two we should not accuse whole Church. Priest and Nuns are also human being with feelings.

By: Terrence

Terrence — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:35:13 +0000

Dear All in Jesus Christ,
Lets not debate on the book of the Nun. It could be true or it might not be. Let’s not judge the Nun. God will handle her case. Lets talk about what ought to be done to prevent acts of these kind. The chances for all these activities are indeed great and all priests and nuns are indeed humans. Remember, Satan enetered the Gardern of Eden easily and can’t he enter the Church / Convent? Some go out of control willingly, some are forced, etc etc. Opportunities determine a man’s character. Lets stop creating opportunities to perform evil not only in the Church but everywhere across the globe. Some sin by creating opportunities to sin and some sin by doing nothing to stop new opportunities to do evil. Earlier, Christ shed blood and now CHRIST weeps!

By: Biju Sebastian

Biju Sebastian — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:10:37 +0000

I, of course, appreciate the courage of Sr.Jesmi. However, courage alone does not justify everything what she has said. She has a right to publish her autobiography…. I don’t deny that. I am not sure what might have been her intention. To bring a new story to the world? I don’t think anything of what she has alleged is impossible to happen in a congregation of nuns, or in any society for that matter. They should not happen… but they happen. She should basically understand that we are all human beings and relate to people with whatever ‘ulterior’ motive we have. Religion and God are meant to set things right, but it may not happen all the time and in everyone’s case. It looks as though these ‘revelations’ have surprised people, be it Christian or non Christian. I am happy for the kind of expectations that have been placed on the Church by people of all religion because they still consider Church trustworthy. Otherwise why so much of a surprise? Thanks Sr.Jesmi, for this prophetic role that you have been playing… let the Church introspect…. and that would mean who…. you Sr.Jesmi included… as you are baptized person. However, do you think you have said something that you will later regret about…. I hope not….. Or God will be sad for you. Forget about others…

By: John Fernandes

John Fernandes — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:30:25 +0000

The problem in the Catholic Church can be minimised if Celibacy is removed. Jesus Christ chose his apostles from among married people, with the exception of John. Sex is God-given and not something evil. I foresee that after several generations the Catholic Church will have married priests, married nuns as well as women priests. The more we are in keeping with nature and God’s ways, the less hypocritical and more sincere will we, the Children of God, be.

By: Circuits

Circuits — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:47:06 +0000

Nobody has the right to force a law onto a group of people. how can you do this to nuns? they are deprived of sexual satisfaction, forever. they might find other means to relive the natural insticts of human beings. what on earth can justify the church or the so called authorities to do this to them?

By: Arun Gopalakrishnan

Arun Gopalakrishnan — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:11:48 +0000

Ken Rego,XXX,Jotty may the Lord have mercy on your blind faith in men in cassocks.

By: Arun Gopalakrishnan

Arun Gopalakrishnan — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:45:34 +0000

My friends Ken Rego and XXX, I hope you people will not doubt the integrity and authenticity of the newsgroup BBC world.here are some links that will lead you to salvation. Oh god,save my soul!!!news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3036880.stm news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3035008.stm
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/6972151.stm

By: rasixa

rasixa — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:32:54 +0000

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 Vithayathil’s 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. That’s 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.”

http://www.indiancatholic.in/news/storydetails.php/11554-1-6-Nuns-in-India-are-not-emancipated-women:-Cardinal