Child Molestation In Doubt

“In the 60s, the Catholic Church in Massachusetts began hearing complaints that Father James Porter was sexually molesting children. Rather than relieving him of his duties, the ecclesiastical authorities simply moved him from one parish to another between 1960 and 1967, actually providing him with a fresh supply of unsuspecting families and innocent children to abuse” (Ericsson 162).

In the parable Doubt, Father Flynn’s innocence is very debatable. Sister Aloysius suspects that he is a child molester. He denies it when confronted but there is some evidence that points to his guilt. Sister James does not want to believe his guilt but is unsure as Sister Aloysius is so determined. Father Flynn is clearly guilty for several reasons, for one because of his actions early in the story, and also because of his decision to leave St. Nicholas Catholic School.

Have you ever had a feeling of doubt? In the play Doubt by John Patrick Shanley the reader is left with a lot of doubt because Father Flynn, one of the main characters, is being persecuted for sexually harassing a young boy in his class. In this play a pastor by the name of Father Flynn is being investigated because Sister Aloysius is suspicious that he has been sexually harassing a young boy by the name of Donald in their school. Based on the evidence in Patrick Shanley’s play, Doubt: A Parable, I conclude that Father Flynn is not guilty, because Sister A does not like Flynn and Sister A doubts all of her wrong doings after all of this commotion. There are also a lot of small reasons why he should be not guilty.

On December 16th, 2016 I, Investigator James Poffel was assigned a case in reference to a sexual assault of a 9 year old juvenile female report. It was reported that the incidents took place several times, first occurring sometime in June of 2016 and the most recent encounter we are unsure at this point of when it occurred.

In over a period of years, an increasing amount of attention has been shed to the problem of child sexual abuse in the church. While churches, and other facilities which care for children, have had their experience of this problem, most attention has been brought to the abuse in the Catholic Church. Around the world, case after case has been seen in the press of clergy and members of religious orders being charged with sex offenses against children. Some of these cases go back decades. The issue has certainly brought attention around the world. The reason why, is the question that ponders in everyone mind.

This article interests me because they are eager to respond in this kind of situation by suspending the priest, whose mistake only is to used the product of modern technology as a way of reaching his young parishioners during mass, while the diocese authorities never suspend priests who keep molesting children.

Most adults would do anything to protect a child. Sister Aloysius did everything she could to make sure Father Flynn would not hurt anymore child. In the play Doubt: a Parable by John Patrick Shanley, Father Flynn, a priest at St. Nicholas, a Catholic church and school in the Bronx, New York, 1964 is questioned whether or not he has been in an inappropriate relationship with an 8th grade colored kid named Donald Mueller. One of the nuns at the school, Sister James tells the principle of the school, Sister Aloysius, her suspicions of the relationship between Father Flynn and Donald and that she smelt wine in his breath. Sister Aloysius questions the priest of the relationship but he denies it and tells her Donald, who was also an altar boy who had access to wine, took some and the priest told no one because he wanted to keep Donald safe. Sister Aloysius meets with Donald’s mother to inform her of the situation but she overlooks it because she needs him to finish 8th grade at the school and Father Flynn is the only one who is friendly to Donald. Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius meet again and she threatens Father Flynn to confess because of information she got from a nun at his last parish. Father Flynn still denies the relationship but he then goes to a different school to be a priest. Based on the evidence in Patrick Shanley’s play, Doubt: A Parable, I conclude Father Flynn is guilty based on his behavior and other evidence against him.

When one’s unquestioned reputation is being attacked one often feels obligated to make a plan to cover up accused actions to save their reputation. When Sister Aloysius first accuses Father Flynn of having an inappropriate relationship with Donald Muller he responds, “Happened? Nothing happened. I had a talk with the boy.” (32). Finally, Father Flynn says he did have some interaction with Donald after denying it for a while, but he still clearly states nothing happened. Father Flynn ends the conversation by saying, “I don’t wish to continue this conversation at all further. And if

To begin, as one is reading the play they start to see that everything Father Flynn was accused of he has a reasonable explanation for. The primary accusation of Father Flynn molesting Donald Muller was supported by the fact that he was alone with him in the rectory. However, Father Flynn quickly denied this because the reason he was alone was for a meeting with Donald about a rule he had broken. Donald had drank church wine on a Tuesday morning while he was serving as an altar boy and Mr. McGinn had caught him, which is why Father Flynn had to have a private meeting with Donald. As Father Flynn is explaining why he was alone with Donald he states, “Donald Muller served as an altar boy last Tuesday morning. After Mass, Mr. McGinn caught him in the sacristy drinking altar wine. When I found out, I sent for him” (Shanley 33). As one reads this quote it is clear that Father Flynn has nothing to hide because he tells the boy’s secret that could possibly get him in trouble and kicked off the altar boys. If Father Flynn was trying to hide something he would most likely not throw the boy under the bus for a crime. Also, the tone of the statement is relaxed and

The Boston Catholic Church’s dangerous employment of power prevented justice and instead allowed for the growth in number of churches and children that were exposed to the sexually abusive priests through the concealment of the abuse.

Father Flynn is perceived guilty for a numerous amount of reasons. First off, he is a priest at Saint Nicholas and he gives two sermons that can display his guilt. His first sermon is about doubt; “On the one side of the glass: happy, untroubled people. On the other side: you. Something has happened, you have to carry it, and its incommunicable. For those so afflicted, only God knows their pain.

The play Doubt: A Parable is centered around a progressive priest at St. Nicholas school, who is accused of molesting a child by the principal of the school. Although he is accused, there is never substantial evidence presented against him, and only covered up inappropriate actions taken by Sister Aloysius. The accusation being made on limited grounds, and the way in which the sister had to take steps outside of what would be expected of her, depicts the seriousness of the hierarchy in the church. This hierarchy is outdated, along with the Christmas pageant and Sister Aloysius belief system, presenting a clear theme of traditional and guilty versus progressive and innocent—eventually leading to the demise of the main characters.

Another reason Fr. Flynn is innocent is because there is very little evidence against him as well as all of his actions can be perceived differently. Evidence is very important when trying to prove your point, although, Sister Aloysius has no evidence as she stated it to Mrs. Muller. “I’m concerned about the relationship between Father Flynn and your son … I’m concerned, to be frank, that Father Flynn may have made advances on your son.

John Jay College Research Team. (2004). The nature and scope of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests and deacons in the United States, 1950-2002. Washington, DC: United States Confer-ence of Catholic Bishops.

Throughout the semester, we examined many different topics that are important to know and which are beneficial to the priestly ministry. One of these is the church’s Magisterium which is held as the authoritative teaching office of those who teach the community in the name of Christ. It serves its role to safeguard the truth of God by faithfully interpreting and applying God’s revelation. It seems that, in our current society, many people don’t know what to believe anymore. This crisis of people not knowing what to believe has affected the Catholic Church even moreso because of the whole sex scandal in recent years. Because of incidents like this, Catholics no longer trust nor do they know what to believe when it comes to morality, faith, and