The Catholic Church in Rome admitted recently that it is aware priests from at least 23 countries have been raping nuns. The countries included India, Ireland, Italy, Philippines and United States.
### Some rape cases took place within the Vatican with unscrupulous clerics taking advantage of young nuns having trouble finding accommodation, writing their essays and funding their theological studies.
The priests, who previously sought out prostitutes, preyed on nuns to avoid contracting Aids.
Confidential Vatican reports obtained by National Catholic Reporter, revealed that Catholic priests exploited their financial and spiritual authority to prey on nuns.
The reports, some of which have been in circulation for 7 years, said the priests also demanded sex in exchange for favours, such as certification to work in a given diocese.
### Nuns, along with ((teenage girls)), are perceived as safe sexual targets. The reports said that the church authorities had done little to tackle the problem.
### The Vatican cited countless cases of nuns forced into sex with priests. Some took birth-control pills, others became pregnant and had abortions. In one case, a nun died after a forced abortion and her rapist led the funeral mass. Another 29 nuns from the same church also became pregnant.
### Catholic hospitals and medical staff reported pressure from priests to carry out abortions for nuns and ((other young women)).
### Sister Maura O'Donohue of Catholic Fund for Overseas Development noted that nuns were identified as "safe" targets with priests requesting that nuns be made available to them for sexual favours.
### While bishops are aware of this, they felt it was disloyal of the sisters to report the rapes.
### The nuns claim they were not well received and even blamed for the rapes. While offending priests are moved or sent away for studies, the nuns are chased out of their religious orders.
### Some rape cases took place within the Vatican with unscrupulous clerics taking advantage of young nuns having trouble finding accommodation, writing their essays and funding their theological studies.
The priests, who previously sought out prostitutes, preyed on nuns to avoid contracting Aids.
Confidential Vatican reports obtained by National Catholic Reporter, revealed that Catholic priests exploited their financial and spiritual authority to prey on nuns.
The reports, some of which have been in circulation for 7 years, said the priests also demanded sex in exchange for favours, such as certification to work in a given diocese.
### Nuns, along with ((teenage girls)), are perceived as safe sexual targets. The reports said that the church authorities had done little to tackle the problem.
### The Vatican cited countless cases of nuns forced into sex with priests. Some took birth-control pills, others became pregnant and had abortions. In one case, a nun died after a forced abortion and her rapist led the funeral mass. Another 29 nuns from the same church also became pregnant.
### Catholic hospitals and medical staff reported pressure from priests to carry out abortions for nuns and ((other young women)).
### Sister Maura O'Donohue of Catholic Fund for Overseas Development noted that nuns were identified as "safe" targets with priests requesting that nuns be made available to them for sexual favours.
### While bishops are aware of this, they felt it was disloyal of the sisters to report the rapes.
### The nuns claim they were not well received and even blamed for the rapes. While offending priests are moved or sent away for studies, the nuns are chased out of their religious orders.
