Catholic nuns 'raped by priests'

Catholic nuns have been raped by priests, infected with Aids and forced to undergo abortions, according to a report.

The litany of alleged abuse in countries including Ireland, Italy and the United States is detailed in confidential church documents published in the American National Catholic Reporter.

The Vatican's official spokesman has acknowledged there is a problem but described it as the actions of a minority, it is reported.

The documents come from five reports prepared over the past seven years by senior members of religious orders and a priest, which show sexual abuse of nuns by priests is a serious problem.

They detail a catalogue of abuse, including priests demanding sexual favours from nuns and targeting young nuns, especially in Africa where they are seen as safe from the scourge of HIV and Aids.

The reports claim nuns are told they have to submit to sexual favours to be allowed to work in a priest's parish.

Priests even arrive at Catholic hospitals demanding doctors carry out abortions on pregnant nuns.

The reports claim some nuns "through naivete or social conditioning" obey priests and comply with their demands.

One report named 23 countries as being involved and said they were Ireland, Italy, the United States, Botswana, Burundi, Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Tonga, Uganda, Zambia, Zaire and Zimbabwe.

Joaquin Navarro-Valls, the Pope's senior spokesman, said the Vatican was working on the problem, but added: "Certain negative situations cannot cause to be forgotten the frequently heroic fidelity of the great majority of male religious, female religious and priests."