Serbia Rocked By Orthodox Sex Scandal

[Apotheoun]

 

Reading the article left me unsure about which of these it is. Pedophilia is a disorder in which adults are attracted to children before they start puberty, so age 11 or 12 and under. Hebephilia is attraction to children age 12-15, and ephebonophilia is attraction to 16-19 year olds. Since most adults experience some attraction to people this age (if you don't believe me show a picture of an attractive 18 year old girl to a group to a group of men) ephebonophilia isn't generally considered to be a disorder by psychologists, and due to varying age of consent laws it's legal for adults to have sex with people during some or all of those years pretty much everywhere. 

 

So where does this bishop fall under? Well the article isn't exactly clear, and indeed even seems self-contradictiry. First it says:

 

"They tried on many occasions to put me in a compromising situation myself or to pull me into their circle," Jovanovic said. "[The bishop] also suggested that I should use the school where I was teaching science to bring him children up to the age of 10, but of course I refused. I was also a witness when abbots from other monasteries would bring theology students who would spend the night with the bishop.

 

 

This certainly seems like a case of pedophilia, as 10 or under certainly fits into that age group.

 

However, they only list 2 victims both of whom were 16 at the time of the incident. One was a girl and the other I think was a both, although it was kind of hard to tell from the Eastern European name (Milic) and they annoyingly never refer to the student as him or her. Also, they put this picture in the article:

 

 

They didn't caption it so it's difficult to be sure, but if this is one of his rape victims it certainly doesn't look like pedophilia. 

 

Ultimately it's possible that he's a bisexual that suffers from the disorder of pedophilia as well, just as many heterosexual and homosexual people do.  

 

Either way, I pray for healing for all of this man's victims, that he may spend a long time in jail away from those he can hurt, and ultimately that he repents of his terrible crimes before death.

The Orthodox forum has more information on this scandal than has been presented here. The picture above is of the bishop and a "dancer" (stripper). I believe the "dancer" claims that he had a relationship with the bishop.

[Lil Red]

The Orthodox forum has more information on this scandal than has been presented here. The picture above is of the bishop and a "dancer" (stripper). I believe the "dancer" claims that he had a relationship with the bishop.

 

i linked to the full article. i was on my phone at the time and couldn't copy and paste the entire article. i kind of assumed that people would be smart enough to go read the full article. of course, knowing some people around here, maybe i shouldn't have done that. :unsure: 

[4588686]

If his name is Milic then it's probably a boy.  In Slavonic languages male names usually end in a consonant.  

[Apotheoun]

I added more, but I can see there's no hope of you making the extraction I'd advocated.

What I am saying, which I know you do not like, is that the perverted disorder that this bishop suffers from, and that should have prevented his ordination in the first place (if it was known), added to the predatory nature of his actions. The disorders are connected. Now, can a man with a normal sexual orientation also be a predator? Sure. But the present case is not one that concerns a man with a normal sexual ordering, and to so  say that his homosexual affliction played no part in his sexual perversion is utter foolishness.

Edited April 29, 2013 by Apotheoun

[Apotheoun]

i linked to the full article. i was on my phone at the time and couldn't copy and paste the entire article. i kind of assumed that people would be smart enough to go read the full article. of course, knowing some people around here, maybe i shouldn't have done that. :unsure:

I read that article, but the Orthodox fora I visit have posted several things in addition to that article (and others), including brief videos.

[Lil Red]

I read that article, but the Orthodox fora I visit have posted several things in addition to that article (and others), including brief videos.

 

oh, i thought you meant that i had presented it in a particular way so as to not show the full details, which wasn't the case at all. sorry for the confusion.

[Apotheoun]

One thing is clear, based upon what I have read, the bishop was an utter pervert sexually, and tried to get other people to participate in his perversion. Evidently he was successful for quite some time in doing so, and manipulated people (possibly through blackmail).

[Apotheoun]

oh, i thought you meant that i had presented it in a particular way so as to not show the full details, which wasn't the case at all. sorry for the confusion.

No. The story you posted has been on various Orthodox sites. All I was saying is that there are more stories / articles available (and even brief - highly edited videos on youtube). The scandal has been talked about for a while on Orthodox sites.

[Apotheoun]

This present scandal makes the OCA financial scandal of a couple years ago look Mickey Mouse in comparison.

[Winchester]

What I am saying, which I know you do not like, is that the perverted disorder that this bishop suffers from, and that should have prevented his ordination in the first place (if it was known), added to the predatory nature of his actions. The disorders are connected. Now, can a man with a normal sexual orientation also be a predator? Sure. But the present case is not one that concerns a man with a normal sexual ordering, and to so  say that his homosexual affliction played no part in his sexual perversion is utter foolishness.

 

Your mind-reading is broken. 

[Apotheoun]

Your mind-reading is broken. 

There really wasn't anything to read. I just stated a fact. The bishop in question is afflicted with homosexual desires, and - like in the scandal that has impacted the Roman Church - it played a major part in the abuse. That's true whether people here want to admit it or not.

 

The Church (both Catholic and Orthodox) needs to reaffirm its traditional position of denying ordination to men afflicted with homosexual desires. I don't think that there is anything shocking in saying that.

Edited April 29, 2013 by Apotheoun

[Winchester]

There really wasn't anything to read. I just stated a fact. The bishop in question is afflicted with homosexual desires, and - like in the scandal that has impacted the Roman Church - it played a major part in the abuse. That's true whether people here want to admit it or not.

 

The Church (both Catholic and Orthodox) needs to reaffirm its traditional position of denying ordination to men afflicted with homosexual desires. I don't think that there is anything shocking in saying that.

 

crawfishing

[Apotheoun]

crawfishing

No retreat. Unlike you I think out my position before I post it.

[Apotheoun]

Is Bishop Basil a sexual pervert? Yes, his actions reveal that he is.

 

Does he suffer from same sex attraction? Yes, his actions (some of which can be seen in edited form on youtube) indicate that he does suffer from that condition.

 

Did he abuse minors? Yes, from what I have read he did. He also tried to force seminarians to have sex with him.

 

Did he blackmail people? I have read that that may be the case.

 

Does the scandal include more people? Yes, it may. I have read that several abbots of monasteries may have participated in his "orgies."

 

Should the man have been ordained if the authorities knew of his sexual disorder? No, they should not have. Did they know? That is unclear.

[Apotheoun]

I have several Serbian Orthodox friends, and needless to say they are quite depressed about what is happening. What should be a joyful time for them as Pascha approaches will instead be a time of troubles and sorrow. They feel betrayed in a sense, but they also feel as if they are under attack. I am sure that Roman Catholics (and Catholic of other rites too) can sympathize with them, after all we have gone through something similar for almost a decade now. Should Bishop Basil be punished? Yes, through the proper channels, i.e., both ecclesiastical and civil. But should the average Serbian Orthodox Christian be punished? No. 

As I have told my friends, I am praying for them and for their Church. No scandal can destroy the Church, nor can it harm a person's faith (unless he allows it to).