Last week, I gave a presentation about nuns and the "special relationships" that was prevalent in convents. The article above is of a recent story where about 50 nuns from the Maryknoll Missionary Sister's Novitiate near St. Louis who decided to finally tell their story. They all contributed in writing the book called Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence the pressure of holding back secret truths that occurred in the convent was simply too much. The fact that so many sisters took part in co-authoring the book meant that this issue is far more widespread than people would think.
Personally, I did not know such erotic relationships would occur in a convent simply because I assumed nuns took their vows of chastity and devoted their lives completely to god. But whether these relationships were inevitable or spontaneous is the question that does not have a definite answer. In theory, it would seem inevitable since it was a setting where people of the same sex are forever secluded in one particular location. Relationships start off as sisters who are close friends become more intimate. The natural biological urges take over and though the sisters swore off sex, primal appeals can no longer be restrained. Another possibility lies in the theory that some sisters were lesbians to begin with. By joining a convent, they would not be judged by a harsh society and pursue their sexual interests in relative obscurity. Whether or not this particular type of sister exist is not known, but it is definitely a possibility.
Whether or not these theories hold true, it does make nuns seem less like saints and more like human beings capable of having feelings and emotions. Nuns have always held a place as glorified angels of heaven that were pure and free of mortal evils and sins. But knowing relationships do occur reassures the rest of us that they are indeed still humans too.
One of the most disheartening things about these special friendships is that people do in fact get hurt, physically or emotionally. As we have learned, some sisters who are more appealing attracted not only more girlfriends but also more scrutiny. Gossip, beatings, and small gestures of disapproval are all apart of the possible consequences of the convent. For those sisters who are not lesbians but received the negative side effects of what does occur, it is a shame. The workings of a convent are still relative quiet to the general public, but if there were to be reform, something to look at is the poor treatment of sisters by others.
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