Sexual abuse prevention officer in Catholic Church, feminist and agnostic

Karin Iten: "There is resistance in the fundamentalist camp of the church".

The Prevention Officer of the Diocese of Chur, Karin Iten, speaks plainly: if people cannot live their sexuality, it makes them sick. Even as an agnostic, she can do prevention work in the church: the view from outside is important for the "mindset". And as an agnostic she is more independent. This interview was conducted in November 2022.

An elderly nun once told me that it was so unbearable not to receive tenderness for years. Sexuality and religion: an infinitely vexed subject, isn't it?

Karin Iten*: Yes. First of all, hats off to this woman for saying that so honestly. A life without sexuality and without physical contact is hostile to life and humanity. Human beings need physical contact at all ages. Without a hug here and there, you become emotionally stunted. There is enough research on this.

And when it comes to sexuality?

Iten: Human beings are sexual beings. There is research on that, too: Two percent of people are asexual, that's a fact. 98 percent, however, have sexual needs. Sexuality is in the nature and psyche of human beings. In the church, however, there are still people who believe that even masturbation is a sin and self-destruction. This would mean that sexuality would be reduced to zero.

"The reduction to reproduction alone is simply alien to the species."

Well, you are allowed to procreate as a believer.

Iten: Sexuality has different dimensions: Pleasure, identity, relationship, also relaxation and procreation. Reducing it to reproduction alone is simply alien to the species. In the system of the Catholic Church, many people break down precisely because of this separation from the human needs for tenderness and sexuality.

Church communication as a "black box".

This sexual morality of the church, which calls everything a sin that lies outside of procreation, has nothing whatsoever to do with the existential questions that a religion deals with or should deal with.

And what would those be?

Iten: What happens after death? What happens next? Questions about life and death. Furthermore, one of the tasks of a church is to accompany people who have suffered a loss, who need comfort. If there is a God, then it is not some small-minded person who is interested in people's bedrooms.

"I see it as useful to invest in the prevention of abuse of power. This cannot be done without shaking up sexual morality, otherwise prevention is a farce."

Speaking of God - you are agnostic. What do you do in the service of the Catholic Church?

Iten: I stand for prevention, I am loyal to the cause and victims and not to the organisation. It is important that there is someone in this position with a completely independent way of thinking and mindset. I see it as useful to invest in the prevention of abuse of power. This cannot be done without shaking up sexual morality, otherwise prevention is a farce.

Last October, the Pope called pornography "the devil's gateway".

Iten: To still argue with the devil in the 21st century, that is not at all possible! It frightens people. It goes in the direction of spiritual manipulation.

Who does that frighten?

Iten: We in Switzerland may be able to deal with this statement in a more differentiated way. But it really scares people in other countries of the world. And the Pope speaks for all countries, including those where there are still exorcisms and hunts. So he has a responsibility.

You mentioned spiritual manipulation, what does that look like?

Iten: The coupling of spirituality and power is highly problematic. It opens up a lot of room for manipulation. Suppressing others, taking advantage of them in the name of God, that is spiritual abuse. For example, when someone argues with words like "God wants it this way" to achieve their own purposes and goals.

"The Church has a great capacity to commit spiritual manipulation."

For example, to legitimize yourself so that someone else has to be available for sexual services. The coupling of spirituality and power is in the DNA of the Catholic Church. So she has a great tendency to commit spiritual manipulation. It would require a lot of self-reflection.

As long as this power imbalance exists within the church, this will not change. They say: Yes, that is possible; and have introduced a Code of Conduct. What is that?

Iten: It is a tool for managers and employees of the Catholic Church, a kind of manual. Together with the priest Stefan Loppacher, we developed the code as prevention officers. With the code of conduct we want to address power, reflect it and make it open to criticism.

By having bishops, vicars general, pastors, priests or religious teachers sign the code, we can demand competencies from them.

Which topics are addressed?

Iten: About how to prevent spiritual manipulation. How not to scare and shame people. The code of conduct contains very specific examples of church staff dealing with believers.

“Sexuality is an integral part of being human.”

So also dealing with sexuality?

Iten: Yes, there are several points listed that church employees should pay attention to. Among other things, they should recognize sexuality as an integral part of being human. Likewise, recognize sexual rights as human rights, especially the right to sexual self-determination.

They should refrain from any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation and identity. And another point: no one is questioned about sexuality. You don't do that at work.

Where in Switzerland was the Code of Conduct implemented?

Iten: In the Diocese of Chur. And a Code of Conduct has just been implemented in the German-speaking part of the diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Freiburg, which was developed on the basis of Chur. In a next step, the code will also be translated and adapted into French.

“Prevention must be visible in everyday life.”

He is being discussed in another diocese in Switzerland. Clearly, there is resistance to such a code in the fundamentalist camp of the church, especially when it comes to sexuality.

There are already protection concepts – aren’t they enough?

Iten: They are not specific enough. Prevention must be visible in everyday life. If it remains too abstract, with sentences in prevention like “We maintain integrity,” everyone will nod it, but that doesn’t protect.

Source

Cathcon:  An illustration of the great danger presented to the Catholic Church by synodalists/ modernists instrumentalising this enormous scandal for their own political and ecclesiastical ends.