Whether we work as a parish priest, a teacher,
counsellor, nurse or social worker our relationships
with those whom we serve come more and more
under the category of professional relationships.
Professional relationships are governed by a code of
ethics. Violating that code is considered not only as
a moral failure (an improper action, a sin) but also,
in many cases, as a crime. Crimes come under the
purview of civil law and are punishable by law. Thus,
if a priest or religious misbehaves sexually with a boy
or a girl who is a minor he or she not only commits a sin in front of God, but also a crime in front of the law and is liable to be punished by civil and ecclesiastical law. Thus, our actions have not only moral consequences but also legal consequences (See Padinjarathala, Ch. 28; Tharakan, Ch. 27, volume 2).
In order to acquire the qualities that are needed to be an effecti