Today on the CBC's Current program a lengthy discussion about clerical sexual abuse of parishioners in Roman Catholic parishes and institutions. A 60-something year old man spoke movingly of the devastating consequences on him when, as an 11 year old, his priest got the boy's trusting parents to allow the priest to take their son to a special religious event in Montreal. On the way there from Toronto, they overnighted in a Cornwall motel where the priest brutally abused and assaulted the boy.

Alas, today - about 50 years later - even with admissions of fault by the Church, the survivor of this assault has still not received any financial restitution. The Church's lawyers and insurance companies are busy appealing judgments. Justice wheels can grind very slowly, especially when institutional interests are threatened.

As I listened, I was waiting for "compulsory celibacy". In vain. Not a word about its role in this particular story, nor in the whole clerical sexual abuse debacle, undermining not only the Roman Catholic Church but tainting the entire Christian movement.

When normal, healthy sexuality is repressed, we can expect it to surface in other, often dangerous forms. Celibacy by choice can be a gift of the person to deepen her/his faith commitment - as long as the celibate is trained and strengthened to fulfill the chosen way.

But when institutionally-mandated celibacy is prescribed, expect deviant and illicit expressions of sexuality, especially involving abuse of vulnerable people - like children, women, vulnerable men and cognitively impaired persons. But also expect healthy sexual expression based on loving relationships and offspring born of love - all made illicit by the institutional requirement.Celibacy imposed is an institutional law has had horrific consequences over the centuries.

The history of celibacy in the Christian church is spotty. Voluntary and prescribed celibacy but also non-celibacy, married priests, male and female priests, married priests but abstaining from sex, wives abandoned to fulfill the celibacy promise, etc. Since the 16th century Council of Trent - with its counter-Reformation decrees, celibacy has been the norm in the Roman Catholic Church. But the record reveals much more diversity than the dominant celibacy norm. (see a point form history at: https://www.futurechurch.org/brief-history-of-celibacy-in-catholic-church ).

Teachings and prescriptions about sexuality, gender, marriage, and sexual orientations in the Christian church have deep roots in the old platonist / gnostic teachings, on the one hand, deprecating matter and body, and especially female bodies, and on the other, elevating soul/spirit/mind. Flesh and sin - if not synonymous, were closely linked.

It's time for a new anthropology and theology to blow through the entire Christian movement. Celibacy was never a norm for walking with Jesus. Women were among his most trusted companions. Males and females created in God's image were his friends. That's a model to emulate.

And then, stop simply blaming individual priests who abuse, as if there are no systemic, institutional aspects to this tragedy. Stop involuntary repression of sexuality. Celebrate the gift of personally chosen celibacy; but also celebrate healthy sexuality and loving, consensual relationships where these are chosen. Regard women as full, human partners in the ministry of Jesus. Make full restitution - justice - to those who have been victimized by flawed church laws and norms. And above all, stop concealing, denying, white-washing, covering-up both the crimes and the perpetrators. It makes a mockery of the Gospel and is destroying the integrity of the Christian movement.

Compulsory celibacy is a major institutional contributor to the clerical sexual abuse horror and it is high time Pope Francis acknowledged this and made celibacy voluntary for called to this state.