September 2, 2021
-Sputnik
While the Church of Sweden is synonymous with its liberal stance on social issues including LGBTQ issues, a BDSM relationship with an underage boy proved to be a bridge too far.
A homosexual pastor in Kalmar County has been defrocked, which is the Church of Sweden’s harshest punishment, after having a sexual relationship “with BDSM elements” with a teenage boy, national broadcaster SVT has reported.
The teenage boy with whom the pastor had a sexual relationship after meeting online, was said to be under 18 but over 15. The site where they met was dedicated to BDSM sex, that is involving elements of domination/submission and sadomasochism.
The pastor was reported to the police for “negligent rape” by the boy himself, but the investigation was later dropped due to a lack of evidence.
In its own investigation, the Church of Sweden found pornographic material on the pastor’s work computer and mobile phone, including those of the boy in question, which violated the church’s IT policy.
The boy reportedly said that he felt bad about the relationship and the Church of Sweden concluded that the priest had an advantage over the boy both considering he was so much older and had more life experience. Therefore, it was decided that the man should no longer be allowed to exercise his duties as a clergyman.
However, the man subsequently moved north to Norrbotten County and is now a headmaster of several primary schools.
“Since that event has not repeated itself, I don’t see how it would affect anything now. I have not done anything illegal. Then I worked with issues that I couldn’t continue with”, the man himself said, as quoted by SVT.
A newspaper has been in contact with the school principal in the municipality who said they were unaware of the incident with the boy. They said the man should be “confronted” immediately.
On social media, the episode was condemned. “Sick!”, one user wrote, encapsulating the public outrage.
Sjukt! https://t.co/M8C6sKtbOU
— Joakim Kock (@dollarsofgold) September 2, 2021
The Church of Sweden is Europe’s largest Lutheran denomination at over 5 million worshippers and formerly a state church. It is famous for its liberal stance on social issues and is known for its vehement support of feminism, sexual minorities, and migrants, as well as having ordained the world’s first lesbian bishop.
In recent years, it has developed a firm interest in gender issues, including addressing Jesus with a gender-neutral pronoun, releasing a book of gender-neutral hymns, and unveiling an LGBTQ altar that depicted the biblical serpent as a transsexual woman. BDSM sex with a minor, however, appeared to be a bridge too far.