THE CATHOLIC Bishops Conference of the Philippines issued a pastoral letter condemning the killings. However, most of the 90 bishops and archbishops, as well as two cardinals, apparently remained silent on the EJKs.
Following a summit demanding zero tolerance of clerical child sexual abuse that was held at the University of the Philippines Diliman on Jan. 30, Cardinal Pablo David took the opportunity to respond to the allegations of a massive cover-up of such abuse by bishops who are doing everything they can to prevent the victims from testifying and protect the clergy from answering to the courts for their alleged crimes.
Cardinal David told the media: “The Church, being a human institution, is not exempt from sin and corruption. Admittedly, [a] lack of accountability compromises our moral and spiritual authority.”
He then added: “Please don’t hesitate to file complaints against abusive clerics whether in the civil or church forums.”
This reinforced support for the position of child rights defenders who are demanding the civil prosecution and conviction of clerical child abusers as the most effective way to stop the abuse. Apparently, no priest has been convicted of child abuse in the Philippines.
Bishops should stop protecting their child-abusing “sons” and believe, obey and implement the words of Jesus of Nazareth: “If any one causes a child to lose faith in me, it is better that a millstone be tied around his neck and he be drowned in the deep sea.” (Matthew 18:6). Let the evidence be presented and the courts decide where justice can and seen to be done.
However, many bishops seem to think all child-abuse charges against priests are private matters for the Church to deal with, as Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle appeared to strongly imply in an interview with Stephen Sackur, host of the BBC’s HARDtalk program, several years ago.
This was before Pope Francis removed the leadership team of Caritas Internationalis, including Cardinal Tagle (who was president then), following an investigation that uncovered deficiencies in management and procedures; and after a convicted pedophile priest, Salesian Luk Delft, was appointed head of Caritas in the Central African Republic, as exposed by a CNN report.
Will the Philippine justice system ever be able to convict a Catholic priest or are judges under the power of and intimidated by the Church hierarchy?
In the Diocese of San Carlos, Negros Occidental, there is a court case against a priest who is accused of raping a 17-year-old girl. Just before the teenager was to testify, she and her mother were threatened and forced to leave Negros out of fear. The diocese did not provide protection for the victim.
An arrangement was made between the prosecutor and the defense lawyer, with the agreement of the judge in court, to provisionally dismiss the case based on the prosecutor’s motion saying the teenage victim had to leave Negros Occidental and did not want to continue the case. There was and is no evidence in writing to support that contention, and the victim said it was not true.
The cover-up of abuse and threats against victims of clerical abuse must end and justice must prevail. Abused children need a champion, and Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David can help end this and allow civil cases to be filed and won./PN
