BY FR. SHAY CULLEN
ONCE PRIESTS who are found guilty of child sexual abuse are convicted and jailed like other pedophiles, that is when this widespread problem would begin to lessen, if not end.
An archbishop was honest in admitting there are child-abusing priests and said they would be held accountable.
Priests committing such crimes against children “deeply wound the very fabric of our faith life and community and cause irreparable damage to the lives of the victims that can scar them for life,” he said.
However, the archbishop did not say how and if he would help child victims heal from the abuse and their parents file charges against the priest-perpetrator. The Church, as an institution, already has a long history of covering up and protecting abusive priests and denying justice and healing to their victims.
The archbishop may have acknowledged the serious nature of these crimes, but no church agency has helped a clerical sex abuse victim to file a case and testify in court. No priest has ever been convicted in the Philippines when they should be. This creates a culture of impunity among priests, making them feel as though the law did not apply to them.
Is this evidence of collusion between church officials, some prosecutors and judges — which some critics might call a conspiracy — not to prosecute or to dismiss the cases? This would allow guilty priests to walk free and abuse more children.
Take the case of 11-year-old Jan-jan (not his real name). He alleged that a priest repeatedly sexually assaulted him and showed lewd conduct toward him before and after celebrating Mass. If this happened, it has to be seen as despicable.
The priest is from Cebu. The Assistant Provincial Prosecutor, backed by the Provincial Prosecutor, made a very strong case against the priest, and they filed against him five counts of rape with sexual assault and one count of lascivious conduct at the Regional Trial Court.
The priest was granted bail, and his next hearing is scheduled for April. Justice delayed is justice denied. Is the delay meant to give time to pressure the victim to drop his complaints, or what?
A decree issued by Pope Francis in May 2019, “Vos estis lux mundi,” made it very clear that all clergy, particularly bishops, must report all serious, credible allegations of child abuse to the Vatican.
If a bishop does not act, he will be held accountable. Also, all Catholic clergy and lay people are required to report abuse to the civil authorities through a social worker, nongovernmental organization or any church authority that may inform the Vatican. The name of the person reporting will be kept confidential, and he or she will not endure discrimination, prejudice and retaliation, the pope said. (To be continued)/PN
