Pope Francis has repeatedly voiced his concern about abuses of conscience and authority in religious communities.
POPE FRANCIS
'On this last issue, I recently came across a book published by Salvatore Cernuzio on the problem of abuses, not egregious abuses, but daily abuses that damage the strength of the vocation.'
The Pope was referring to 'The Veil of Silence' by Vatican journalist Salvatore Cernuzio, which gives a voice to current and former religious sisters to shed light on the abuses they suffered at the hands of their superiors.
SALVATORE CERNUZIO
Author, 'The Veil of Silence'
'By sharing their experiences, many women present a clear picture: people in positions of responsibility, such as mother superiors, novice masters, provincials, and generals, treat these women as perpetual minors. They do not treat them as adult women who have begun a journey of discernment and vocational maturity.'
Cernuzio explains that religious sisters often suppress their own personalities in their religious communities.
SALVATORE CERNUZIO
Author, 'The veil of silence'
'One sister told me that she and other sisters had reached such a degree of submission that their superiors could order them around however they wished. This shows how when one's personality reaches a point of deconstruction, in constant subordination and humiliation, to the point where that person becomes nothing, whoever has power over them can command them however they please.'
The book aims to help religious communities escape situations that align giving oneself to God with humiliating oneself and obeying commands without thought.
The author says that in these cases, people in religious communities are unable to live as mature persons with their own initiative—preventing them from effectively living out their vocation.
Additionally, that this more subtle type of abuse often leads to more serious abuses, such as sexual abuse.
JRB
VM
