A Broken Hallelujah: Wrestling with Christian Rape Culture

Alessandro Serenelli was the sexual assaulter & murderer of 11 year old St. Maria Goretti in 1902.  He claimed repentance & gained early prison release by leveraging  1)A priest pressuring her into forgiving him from her agonizing deathbed,  2) A pedophilic dream of her purportedly "appearing" to him from heaven to hand him 14 glowing lilies, one for each vicious stab wound. He proved sincerity of his repentance by… Disappearance to a lifetime of diligent service with Mother Teresa? Preceded by a long distance letter of humble sincere apology to her mother, Signora Assunta Carlini Goretti, entirely omitting any spiritually abusive demand for forgiveness? Hell, no. (Expletive supremely & theologically accurate).   Serenelli's sacred & praiseworthy achievements: 1) Ostentatious & demanding doorstep invasion right before Christmas, with devastation made exponential by severe implicit pressure to sit beside him at Midnight Mass. 2) Pope led ...

This is the 13 year old child beatified as "virgin and martyr" by Pope Francis in 2022 , whom Cardinal Steiner joins in celebrating as a role model for girls and women. “At the fountain, Benigna offers her life in fidelity to Jesus” he said. Regarding the circumstances of her death, the cardinal said that Blessed Benigna brings light in the midst of a social context where women are murdered and where children are abused.... “Benigna [was an] example of the non-subjugation of women, defender of their own strength and value, of dignity and beauty, of sexuality and motherhood, of vitality and tenderness. She preferred death to passion, she preferred death to the breaking of her dignity."                   Cardinal Leonardo Steiner , Beatification Mass "The priest explained that the red dress with white polka dots that Beata Benigna wore “prophetically” symbolized her martyrdom. “Red recalls blood and white holiness of life,” he po...

  Thread Reader Dr. Laura Marie Grimes @DrLauraGrimes 30m   •  26 tweets  •  3 min read   Read on Twitter St. Maria Goretti thoughts on progressive/moderate reframes: a thread.  I.e. those of us who dislike official better-dead-than-raped “martyr of chastity”exaltation. Especially for a child of 11. Some of us are survivors of sexual abuse & assault, which makes us especially aware of how much this story, & that of other girls & women sainted for the same thing, contributes to Christian rape culture. Others are allies & advocates .  Main reframes are 1) Her real holiness consists of forgiving attempted rapist. 2) Additional holiness is shown in concern for his soul demonstrated by saying “It’s a sin—you will go to hell.”  I respect both, but also have some significant concerns. To begin with second:  Awesomeness of that: she, unlike official & informal canonizers, understood it would only be his sin, with not the...

      " Antonia Mesina (June 21, 1919-May 17, 1935) was a 15 year old Italian Roman Catholic and member of Catholic Action. Mesina was murdered in mid-1935 after she attempted to fend off a would-be rapist, who struck her 74 times with a stone before she died....     Mesina set off for Mass one morning with a friend and after that went to gather firewood in mid-1935 when 19 year old Giovanni Ignazio Catigu  attacked her and tried to rape her. Her friend screamed and ran off to find help.       Mesina managed to escape twice, but on her third attempt he knocked her down. Mesina defended herself and Catigu murdered her because she resisted his violence, striking her with a rock 74 times.      Mesina's remains were examined after her death and it was found that she had not been violated during or after Catigu's violent attack. His last blow smashed her skull and disfigured her face."         ...

  [CW sexual assault].  The more I research "martyrs of chastity," the more sickened I am. Girls as young as 12 are exalted for "defending their purity" by fighting to the point of grisly deaths. Which clearly communicates that anyone who submits to survive is a worthless whore. Teresa Bracco was 20 when a Nazi soldier dragged her into the woods. Her fight is lauded, & vicious wounds described in gory detail.  Karolina Kózka was 16 when a Russian soldier ordered her into the woods with her father, who immediately abandoned her. Two village men hid in the bushes watching the soldier's rape attempt, bayonet attacks, & her flight into a swamp to bleed out from a slit carotid artery.   Benigna Cardoso da Silva was 12 when a teen began pursuing her and demanding sex. She sought help from her priest, who responded "Keep resisting." A week after her 13th birthday he trapped her in an isolated spot. Then he murdered her with a machete when she kept res...

       Welcome to this blog & community created to name, fight, & heal sexual assault, abuse, & misconduct in Christian churches, families, and universities.     These are taboo topics even in the era of #MeToo. Survivors who speak out on #ChurchToo are frequently subjected to cruel backlash not just by perpetrators, but enablers & colluders from local congregations, their own families & friends, & denominational authorities who punish victims for breaking silence.       But we & our allies are silent no more. We shout our stories of sexual assault & support each other in the ensuing firestorm. This happens especially with clergy perpetrators & the regional & national authorities who feign concern but hide behind unethical law firms & pious platitudes.      Perhaps the deepest cuts are from fellow congregants, ministry partners, and friends. It is terrifying to face the reality t...