But let's step back a moment. Not only Jesuit priests but all priests in the Roman Catholic Church take a vow of chastity (celibacy). But celibacy for priests involves "extremely inhibited sexuality," to use Herman's terminology. I have no doubt that celibacy for priests contributed to the priest sex-abuse scandal in recent decades.
I bring up this widely publicized earlier sex-related scandal to suggest that we Americans today may be living through a significant challenge to our attitudes about sexuality. However, as far as I know, the priest-sex-abuse scandal has not yet prompted the Roman Catholic Church to change the expectation of celibacy for priests. Thus far, the Roman Catholic Church is still as sex phobic as it was before the widely publicized priest-sex-abuse scandal.
But it still remains to be seen if the current tsunami of allegations against prominent and powerful American men will prompt significant change in those men or other American men.
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