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Rapists in the temple

By ODIMEGWU ONWUMERE

AMONG the many odds that are threatening the holiness of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in recent times, which was not how He proposed that the church should be, is the abuse of children sexually in the church by clerics . This abuse by clerics is not only experienced in the "later day" churches otherwise called in many quarters the "Mushroom churches’, but priests of the Roman Catholic Church are also into the mess. Perhaps, these deviants are fighting to be allowed for the emancipation of the abuse of children within the doctrines of the church, just as pansies and lesbians are applying lead, sinker and hook to seeing that the church allows them to be practicing their notorious way of Christianity and at the same time be called Christians.

The abuse of children in the church in Nigeria by clerics poses a potent danger that if nothing is done, children are at the risk of being debased on a daily basis by clerics within the short period human beings have on earth. As adopted in 1989, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the African Child, Child abuse violates the United Nation Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child. The genuine Christian conscousness considers child rape by clerics as offensive. But is this not becoming very common in many churches in Nigeria?

While this clerical sexual deviancy rages on, on the children, perhaps nothing seems to be the government reward for the perpetrators because of the much respect we have for "Men of God" or for God? And parents who do allow their children to work for their "Daddy in the Lord" alone seem not to be helping matter.

These clerics have been heavily criticized. But they seem not to have leanrt any lesson. Rather, in the case the offending priests, they are moved from parish to parish, where they still had personal contact with children. But can they not have been permanently removed from the priesthood? Again, reporting the incidents to police, many diocesicians submit the offending priests for psychological treatment rather than expaultion. And the priests resume their previous duties. This is informed to the bishop by the treating psychologists or psychiatrists that it was safe for the priest to resume his duty, with children in their sight? All these are done only if the church allowed the matter to leave its eave.

Many clerics do not see children as supposed to be dealth with, with the kids glove. Because they do not have the orientation of the bible thus: "A Senior Pastor must be one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)".

However, it is supposed to be the responsibility of church leaders or elders, to be checkmating the activities of these clerics, but the elders now have much reverence for the clerics than the Word of God, therefore going blind to their responsibilities. So, when will it be the time for the Church to get serious about protecting children? Children that are also molested in the streets?

Was it not President Bush who had stated that any nation that harbours terrorists is guilty of terrorism? But, who will tell the church that any elder or leader of a church who safes any child abuser-cleric is just a terrorist? Is it not a crime to man and God that a man whom the congregants take as the Lord they are seeing in the world would descend to cause calamitous deed just by abusing a child sexually? Is it just not as unthinkable that, at the same time, a church leader would protect the cleric?

If His Holiness, Pope Benedict could apologize for sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Australia, this year, saying those responsible should be brought to justice, who is that church leader in any church to hide a pervert cleric to go free, having abused a child?

Hear the Pope, "I am deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have endured," the pontiff said in a homily in Sydney. "These misdeeds, which constitute so grave a betrayal of trust, deserve unequivocal condemnation," he said. "Those responsible for these evils must be brought to justice."

Nigerians don't care about all these child abuse in the Church? But is it not happening? It’s very bad when people try to pretend that such things don't happen here. Men regarded as the epitome of moral features today have sexually molested many young ladies and many of them adults. The issue of uncle, cousins and houseboys rapings could be termed as ‘worldly thing’, but not by a cleric. These children are sexually molested by clerics before they attained the age of 10. They could not tell anybody because it concerns a cleric whom their parents held in high esteem? Atrocities like this should not continue to happen. There is no ‘holy sex’ as many clerics are wont to say when they are caught. Thanks.
•Onwumere wrote from Rivers State