After a United States watchdog slammed the Philippines’ bishops for not taking action against clergy accused of sexual abuse, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David urged Filipino Catholics to report priests accused of misconduct to both Church and civil authorities. Source: National Catholic Register.
Days after BishopsAccountability.org on January 29 launched its Philippines database, which lists 82 priests and brothers publicly accused of abusing minors, Cardinal David said the country’s Catholics must report “erring priests.”
“Please don’t hesitate to file complaints against abusive clerics whether in the civil or Church forums,” Cardinal David wrote in a January 31 statement.
“[Pope Francis] has been insistent on putting up structures of check and balance and accountability to prevent past mistakes from happening again.”
Cardinal David conceded the Church was “not always successful” in keeping accused clergy accountable and needed “the help and participation of our laypeople, including our professional journalists” to protect minors and vulnerable adults from abuse.
The database also includes allegations about Filipino priests who served in the US and priests from other countries – the US, Ireland, and Australia – who served in the Philippines.
Regarding US priests, Cardinal David said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is “at a loss” on how to take appropriate action against suspended clergy attempting to engage in active ministry or who may be in hiding in the country.
“It’s important that the local bishops to whom they are incardinated in the States should inform us bishops in the Philippines about such cases,” he said.
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Filipino Cardinal Urges Catholics to Report Clerical Abuse to Church and Civil Authorities (By Kristina Millare, National Catholic Register)
