Merle Longwood of Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y., is a professor of religious studies (and a Lutheran at the Franciscan school) who has studied the issue of sexuality and Catholicism. At a panel on the sexual abuse crisis at the American Academy of Religion Conference in 2004, Longwood argued that clergy sex abuse is not limited to Catholic clergy or to the United States, and he was critical of efforts to tie homosexuality to the abuse crisis. Longwood also argued that some church officials see sexual abuse of women and girls as less severe than the abuse of boys because homosexuality is considered more evil and contrary to natural law. He is co-editor of Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church: Trusting the Clergy?
| Website | http://www.siena.edu/pages/1941.asp |
| Email address | longwood@siena.edu |
| Phone number | 518-783-2419 |
| Categories | Beliefs & practices, Clergy, Congregations, Crime & punishment, Ethics, Faith leaders, Gender & sexuality |
| Locations | New York, United States of America |
| Resource Types | Sources |
| Faiths | Catholicism, Christianity, Lutheran |
| Languages | English |