book review
...ion during those eras. However, this book provided a good description of the illicit sexual behaviors of the Roman Catholic clergy in early modern Spain as a result of the counter-reformation. With the reforms of the Council of Trent, , the catholic church promoted confession as a first step in the rite of penance improving the situation of early ages were people avoided participation. Immediately, the success of frequent confession became vulnerable by the clergy who tried to seduce woman during the confession. Unquestionably, it produced a big concern over the church for the profanation of one of the seven sacraments on the hands of the confessor. It increased the problem faced by the catholic church who in previous years were trying to improve the moral of the clergy and control of clerical concubine. The author put some emphasis about the uses of the confessional boxes as the possibility of solicitation but in the actuality, this rite still performed one on one in isolated areas of the church with not reason to be worried about any kind of possible sexual tension. Haliczer conclude that solicitation is the result of various factors between the most important the lack of secular clergy. He argue that the Spanish church made a big mistake when using members of the regular clergy to serve as confessors because they were not well prepared to control their dentations over sexuality. The author consider that celibacy was an act imposible to accomplish by many priest who uses the confessional as the only place where they could make contac with women and talk to them presonaly and intimately but he overlook this point because he did not consider that these people already have enough contact with the general population; consequently, they could used other venues in the search of potentials sexual partners. In the same way, sexual propositions could not be only practiced by the clergy, indeed by any other person or authority. As a result of this sexual tension between confessor and confectioner, the Edict of Faith in 1576 gave the inquisition the power to served as supervisor over the quality of correct behavior of priests when performing the rite of confession. This sexual tension gives origin to “solicitation,” term that were used criminalized any act of sexual intimacy by the priest when serving in the capacity of confessor. Again, If we are trying to get a better picture of the real situation of Spain, we should include the use of a variety of sources from the distinct level of the society. The study of Haliczer is based in the elements left by the Inquisition which was concerned on reduce the incidents of solicitation on the confessional only with out taking on consideration other venues. In addition, it is important to remember that the Spanish inquisition declined its power by the middle of the century and it limited the information that could be proporcioned. Therefore, it may appear that people who were caught by the inquisition were desperate people who acted with out taking in consideration the severe punishments used. Accordingly to this, this book can not be used as a representative of all clerics deviation. Moreover, they may be cases that never were trial by the inquisition which demonstrated the success of those clergy and the failed from those who were caught. Haliczer’s data illuminate through the uses of anecdotal evidence from the cases he obtained the profile of the “solicitante,” in other words, the pries accused of propositioning women, and the profile of the “penitents,” who were the victim. Through this anecdotes the author conclude that solicitation provided woman the opportunities for sexual and emotional fulfillment from a sensitive confessor. For instance, penitents were expected to reveal a careful an complete...