“Homosexuality and adult films had become a part of their lifestyle…. A section of priests and nuns were driven by lust for power and money. Mismanagement of funds was also rampant in institutions under the Vincentian Congregation order…. Most celibates indulge in self-pleasure.” — Ex-Vincentian Catholic priest K.B. Shibu

Thiruvananthapuram, Sept. 1: Barely a year after a former Catholic nun wrote in her autobiography about the suppressed sexual life and draconian rules within the convents, a former Catholic priest has come out with his own experiences of homosexuality at seminaries, sexual misconduct of priests, lack of transparency in money matters and the unfair approach of superiors.

In his 160-page book, Here is the heart of a Priest [download no longer available], K. P. Shibu Kalamparambil has written about life he had had to lead as member of the Catholic  Vincentian Congregation for past 24 years — 11 years as priest, 13 as seminarian.

The 39-year-old former priest left the Catholic order in March 2010, and flew to Doha where he joined as a teacher with an Indian school. A native of Angamaly near Kochi, Shibu has found his leave period to release and distribute the book. “I have faced stiff opposition from the Vincentian Congregation and my family alike when I broached the idea of publishing my story.” – Times of India, 2 September 2010

Thiruvananthapuram: Barely a year after a former Catholic nun wrote in her autobiography about the suppressed sexual life and draconian rules within the convents, a former Catholic priest has come out with his own experiences of homosexuality at seminaries, sexual misconduct of priests, lack of transparency in money matters and the unfair approach of superiors.

In his 160-page book, Here is the heart of a Priest, K. P. Shibu Kalamparambil has written about life he had had to lead as member of the Catholic Vincentian congregation for the past 24 years — 11 years as priest, 13 as seminarian.

The 39-year-old former priest left the Catholic order in March 2010, and flew to Doha where he joined as a teacher with an Indian school.

A native of Angamaly near Kochi, Shibu has found his leave period to release and distribute the book. “I have faced stiff opposition from the Vincentian Congregation and my family alike when I broached the idea of publishing my story.”

His book is an open letter about alleged sexual anarchy of priests, injustice meted out to members and mismanagement of resources at a Catholic order. “Three times I had met with road accident. As my Congregation failed to support me, I had to meet the hospital bills on all occasions.”

“While working as a teacher with the Congregation-run educational institution in Kasargode, I had to face agitations from student outfits. The Congregation did not come to my rescue. When a priest is insulted continuously, … what is the logic in the Church saying that he should suffer everything for Jesus?”

On his early days at Papal Seminary [Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth] in Pune, Shibu alleges he was sexually abused by senior seminarians. “Homosexual relations were rampant in seminaries. The victims had to suffer silently. If they complain, … both the accused and the victim would be shown the door. Hence, succumbing to the urges of the seniors was the only option….”

“During pastoral work, the seminarians used to travel on cycles. While moving around on a cycle, seminarians made a point to give lift to children. They (children) would be asked to tightly embrace the riding seminarian. Such acts were done with deliberate sexual intention,” he alleges in the book. “There had been incidents of senior seminarians pretending as priests and hearing confessions. ”

He alleges several priests sexually exploited widows or nuns. He also alleges, “Certain priests have no qualms to divert donations from believers for their personal purposes. Church funds should be handled by government agencies….”

Shibu himself is the publisher of his work, which has only 100 copies in the first edition. “I am planning a second edition of 10,000 copies.”

Provincial-General of Vincentian Congregation Fr Paul Puthuva said he would comment after reading the book.

Fr Paul Thelakkattu, spokesperson for the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, said: “Unfortunately the Church is one in which people like him are also living and working…. He has simply betrayed the trust of the faithful.”

In 2009, Sister Jesme had embarrassed the Kerala Catholic Church by writing about her sexual encounters with priests in her work Amen. – The Laitytude, Mumbai, September 1, 2010

Thiruvananthapuram, Sept. 1: There seems no end to Church’s woes as far as “God’s own country” is concerned. After ex-nun Sister Jesmi’s tell-all book on the dark side of the convent life, it’s now the turn of a former priest to expose what he claims “sexual anarchy among the clergy and the faithful”.

The book, Here is The Heart of a Priest by K P Shibu, who left the Vicentian Congregation after 11 years, is autobiographical and slams the “indulgent and licentious life-style of a section of the clergy”. Writing about his days with the congregation, Shibu (38) alleges, “Homosexuality and adult films had become a part of their lifestyle…. A section of priests and nuns were driven by lust for power and money. Mismanagement of funds was also rampant in institutions under the order.”

After listening to the confessions of priests, Shibu claims he concluded that 60% of them had had sexual encounters with nuns, widows, society ladies or other faithful women. “Most celibates indulge in self pleasure,” he writes in one place. There were also those who took advantage of poverty of women, orphans and abused children, alleges the former priest, and says ragging of new comers to the order shamefully prevails in seminaries.

Sister Jesmi’s book, Amen: Autobiography of a Nun, was similarly critical of convent life. – Times of India, Mumbai, September 2, 2010

Thiruvananthapuram, Sept. 1: After the tell-all memoirs of a Catholic nun that shocked the Christian community in Kerala, an ex-priest has come out with a book alleging that some priests and nuns in churches in the state suffer from moral turpitude despite their vow of celibacy.

In his memoirs titled Oru Vaidikente Hridayamitha (“Here is the heart of a priest”), K. P. Shibu rues that the moral foundations of the church have been weakened with sections of priests and nuns indulging in sex and venality despite their solemn vow to abstain from carnal pleasures.

Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil’s twisted reasoning: Telling the truth about the moral turpitude in his church is considered a “betrayal of the trust of faithful”. The real betrayal of course is that made by the depraved priests and nuns in his jurisdiction.

A spokesperson of the Syro Malabar Catholic Church rejected the allegations levelled in the book as an all-out attempt to malign the church.

“It is a pity that he was in priesthood for 11 years and heard confessions and issued guidance to parishioners. Through his work he has simply betrayed the trust of the faithful,” the Church spokesperson said.

Sex, greed and power struggle have become part of the church institutions where a good number of priests and themselves are vulnerable to these worldly temptations, Shibu, who quit the Vincentian Congregation a few months back after spending 24 years in church as a student and priest.

Recalling his experience of hearing confessions from fellow-priests, Shibu alleged that many of them had sexual experiences and sexually exploited nuns as well as widows and society ladies who approached them for spiritual solace.

He said he decided to narrate his experiences despite opposition even from his own relatives out of his concern for the church and the community members.  – Deccan Chronicle, Chennai, September 2, 2010

• Pope Benedict’s responsibility for the scandals
• Shibu’s book has made it to the Abuse Tracker Archive

Filed under: india | Tagged: catholic bishops' conference of india, catholic church, celebacy, christianity, culture, homosexuality, k.b. shibu, priestly vows, psychological warfare, religion, roman catholic church, sister jesmi | 4 Comments »