Women Religious Abuse in the Latin American Church: an evolving crisis at the core of Catholicism

ANA LOURDES SUAREZ; VERONIQUE LECAROS

San Diego

Congreso; AAR Seminar on Contextualizing Catholic Clergy Sexual Abuse; 2024

American Academy of Religion

The sexual abuse of priests over women religious (WR), colloquially known as nuns , the abuse among nuns themselves, and the abuse of WR towards minors have been ongoing for a long time, but only recently have these issues come to public attention. The abuse is framed within the power structures that define hierarchical and patriarchal institutions, such as the Catholic Church, which perpetuates and normalizes gender inequality. In the context of power dynamics, WR are an institutionally constructed vulnerable group. Examining their experiences of abuse reveals deeper dimensions of ecclesiastical power and governance. The objective of this paper is to examine Women Religious Life (WRL) as both victims and facilitators/perpetrators of sexual abuse within the socio-ecclesial context of Latin America, a region with the highest percentage of Catholic population in the world. We argue that the contexts, institutional dynamics, and types of responses to abuses involving women religious in Latin America align with the global patterns observed worldwide. The very limited ecclesial response in the region to instances of abuse imparts distinct characteristics to these situations. This inadequate response exacerbates the vulnerability of women religious and highlights the already unsustainable institutional methods of exercising power.The paper is organized around two scenarios of sexual abuse involving women religious (WR). First, we examine the abuse they endure at the hands of the clergy, highlighting their role as victims of clerical abuse. Second, we address instances of abuse perpetrated by WR themselves. Within this latter context, we explore two specific situations: abuse against minors and abuse occurring within female religious communities, where women religious are positioned as both victims and perpetrators.