Washington D.C., Jun 30, 2004 / 22:00 pm
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Catholic League criticized the HBO special “Celibacy,” a documentary in the “America Undercover” series, aired on June 28.
The documentary purports to be an examination of celibacy as it is practiced in the world’s religions.
According to the Catholic League’s statement, “after a cursory glance at celibacy in eastern religions, if focuses almost exclusively on Roman Catholicism. The overall theme is voiced at the outset: ‘The worldwide crisis in the Catholic Church begs many questions: Is sexual denial healthy? Or can it become something dangerous? Is there any link between enforced celibacy and an apparent epidemic of child abuse by the clergy?’”
“It is not for nothing that the term ‘enforced celibacy’ or ‘imposed’ is repeated constantly,” said Catholic League president William Donohue. “By doing so, the message of coercion is made explicit.”