Ephebophilia, understood as the sexual attraction of adults to adolescents in middle or late stages (usually between 14 and 21 years old), has been a sensitive issue in the Catholic Church, especially in cases such as those of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and Father Carlos Buela. Both clerics faced allegations of sexual misconduct directed primarily at seminarians, a vulnerable group due to the power dynamics and trust in the religious context. This article discusses these cases, focusing on seminarians as victims.
Theodore McCarrick, former archbishop of Washington and cardinal until 2018, was accused of sexually abusing adult seminarians for decades. According to reports, such as the one published by The New York Times in 2018, McCarrick invited young seminarians to his beach house in New Jersey, where he subjected them to inappropriate touching and other sexual misconduct. These actions took advantage of his authority as a prominent ecclesiastical figure, which made it difficult for victims to come forward. Although he also faced charges of child molestation, the most numerous allegations involved seminarians, whom he manipulated with promises of promotion or spiritual favors. In 2019, the Vatican expelled him from the priesthood after a canonical trial that confirmed the abuses, setting a precedent as the first cardinal to be secularized for these reasons.
For his part, Carlos Buela, founder of the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE) in Argentina, was accused of sexual misconduct with adult seminarians from his congregation. In 2016, the Vatican confirmed the veracity of the allegations, which included sexual abuse and psychological manipulation, according to a statement read by the archbishop of San Rafael, Eduardo Taussig. Unlike McCarrick, there was no evidence of child abuse, but the victims, seminarians under his spiritual direction, were young adults in a position of subordination. Buela was removed from the IVE in 2010, banned from contacting its members and was imprisoned in a monastery in Italy until his death in 2023. However, the accusations indicate that he defied these sanctions, maintaining influence in the congregation.
In both cases, ephebophilia manifested itself in a context of asymmetrical power, where seminarians, aspirants to the priesthood, depended on the guidance and approval of these authority figures. The McCarrick-Buela relationship is also notable: McCarrick financially supported the IVE, donating nearly $1 million between 2004 and 2017, and shared spaces with Buela, such as ordinations in San Rafael.
The institutional responses have been criticized. While McCarrick was protected for years despite known rumors, Buela faced late sanctions. Both cases highlight the need for clear protocols to protect seminarians and ensure independent investigations.
The Church must prioritize victims, offering reparation and preventing cover-ups to restore trust.
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