Celibacy produces pedophiles

Philosopher Lieven De Cauter has a remedy against pedophilia in the church. "Abolish celibacy The problem of pedophilia in the church is immediately abolished (at least towards the future) Not that the problem of pedophilia has been abolished, do not get me wrong, but as a structural, age-old endemic problem in the church."

Let me try to cast a somewhat philosophical light on this whole fuss about pedophilia in the Church. Someone has to do it anyway. Urgently. Jesus! C'est le cas de le dire. We start at the beginning. Everyone knows the saying 'come to my room'. So the whole thing about silence and amazement and I do not know anymore, is nonsense.

Not only does the Church carry an overwhelming responsibility for one of the largest and especially longest-lasting cover-up operations in world history (not only the Belgian Church, it should not be forgotten that the scandal wave started in the US and then spread almost everywhere: from Ireland to even Poland) ), but also the many silent witnesses are not free (the parents, the teachers, the directors, and so on).

I would say more: the whole population looked the other way. Because everyone knew that spell. So with a few 'devil exorcisms' here and there à la Vangheluwe it will not be enough. And I know what I'm talking about, just ask me as a witness, I can both testify of the problem itself and of the cover-up operations (also by a priest, head of the how's that order again, who for example a few weeks back a firm opinion piece, but did everything in its power to obscure the heavy abuse of a mentally handicapped child of 11 by one of his subordinates). So call my bluff. Anytime.

But there is also another spell that comes in handy here: the blood creeps where it can not go. Everyone also knows that spell, everyone understands that spell. So? Very simple: throw a dam against the desire (the need, the desire, the drive or whatever you want to call it) and it (he / she) will, anyway, anyway, I want it again say: How Then, find a way out or outlet. Voilà. Freud according to the book. Need I say more?

Abolish celibacy. The problem of pedophilia in the church has been immediately abolished (at least towards the future). Not that the problem of pedophilia has been abolished, do not get me wrong. But as a structural, age-old endemic problem in the Church. Why? Because the blood creeps where it can not go. Everyone knows that (or at least, any man) who is honest with himself.

A serious percentage (I estimate half) of the men, and to a lesser extent also the women, has pedophile or pseudopedophilic fantasies (which is not a crime, the thought is free, by the way uncontrollable, also for the person who fantasizes). So, our society must open its eyes. Whoever is without sin, cast the first stone. Which does not mean that the guilty should not be punished. Punished, but not stoned. Diabolizing is always sprinkling sand into the eyes.

Let us therefore go deeper into Freud. According to Freud, the desire is a pumping system of lust energy: libido - eternally driven by the drive that expresses itself in impulses (to make it equally clear). If you stop that lava flow from the desire - it is hot in there - then it is looking for a way out elsewhere. Not always beautiful. I am the last to deny it.

What happens if adult, genital sexuality is blocked from the outside (by forbidden) or from within (by inhibitions, neuroses, traumas, etc.)? People seek refuge in what Freud called Partialtriebe, which are in principle all to a greater or lesser extent to synthesize in the aforementioned adult genital sexuality, but which in the case of blocking come to be perversions themselves.

Or even completely grow up. It is the entire catalog: voyeurism, exhibitionism, sadism, etc. but also zoophilia, necrophilia and pedophilia. Perversions are usually worn out in vague or not, but sometimes also really uninhibited, for example within the protection of an institute. Hence those horror stories.

Conclusion? Celibacy produces pedophiles. Others will say: celibacy attracts pedophiles. That is not a contradiction, on the contrary. But that there is no structural pedophilia problem in any other monotheistic religion proves that the problem is in any case directly correlated with celibacy. Or in Biblical language: "The Sabbath was made for man, man not for the Sabbath". The institutions are made for man, man is not for the institutions.

Celibacy was perhaps the largest theological and, so to speak, 'biopolitical' mistake by the Catholic Church in its long, impressive, if not always beautiful, history. Abolish that trade. Otherwise, the Church threatens to abolish itself. Now, not for me left. I only wanted to shed some light on Freud's case with Freud, Monseigneur.

I would dare to go even further. Even the laity and even the governments must make their voices sound stronger than ever. Pedophilia can not be perpetuated in the name of religious freedom. No more than the stoning of women.