Followers of Jesus of Nazareth have true faith in his teaching that goodness, truth, justice and love of neighbour, and human and children’s rights will one day overcome and defeat evil. Their faith, that of the People of God, will not be shaken. They will stand firm and welcome the truth—even the shocking truth of clerical child abuse—that is being revealed and challenged. It is a process that is cleansing the institutional Church of complicity in crimes against children.
These investigations into clerical child abuse by the authorities in several nations, like in the Catholic Diocese of Baltimore in the US, where investigators are independent of the hierarchy, revealed wide abuse and the cover up by bishops. Over 150 priests were found to have sexually abused at least 600 children and many more cases were covered up. That is just the tip of the iceberg.
In the Philippines, no such investigations have ever happened as authorities, save for one or two brave prosecutors, seem to lack the courage and determination to pursue justice on behalf of child victims.
Yet true Christians realise that God is inspiring people to cleanse their community of evil. True faith is always found in the minds and hearts of the People of God even if not always present in all the clergy in the institutional Church. That true faith comes from belief and action following the words and actions and example of Jesus of Nazareth. It will find life in the actions of a person of absolute integrity and will motivate the many thousands of good priests and laypeople and truthful bishops to take social action to implement the gospel values.
When will they act to protect children and report child-abusing priests to the authorities and support child victims to get justice and stop more abuse?
Pope Francis has such faith and has condemned every act of child abuse and says the victims are the most important in the Kingdom as Jesus said [Matthew 18:1-7] and abusers must be held accountable before civil law and Church law and, as Jesus said, a millstone be tied around their necks and they be thrown into the deep sea [Matthew: 18:7]. What message is more direct, stronger and clearer than that?
That real faith of laypeople and true Christians will not be shaken no matter what scandal of child abuse by corrupt clergy is revealed. Many may fall away from the Church and stop attending Mass and the sacraments having lost trust in the institutional Church.
Yet, as true believers, they will not lose trust in Jesus of Nazareth, will believe in him and continue to help their needy neighbour, as well as the victims of abuse and exploitation. That is the faith that flows into action for children’s rights and dignity and will empower true Christians of integrity to speak the truth, fight for the truth and welcome it, painful as it may be.
Pope Francis has such faith and has condemned every act of child abuse and says the victims are the most important in the Kingdom as Jesus said [Matthew 18:1-7] and abusers must be held accountable before civil law and Church law and, as Jesus said, a millstone be tied around their necks and they be thrown into the deep sea [Matthew: 18:7]. What message is more direct, stronger and clearer than that?
The hierarchy must defend victims and bring clerical child abusers to justice. Some who cover up for and transfer abusers, or send them to “rest houses” may be harbouring alleged criminals. They likely don’t believe that a priest can sexually abuse children or that it is a serious crime. The first case of a priest being jailed for alleged child rape and sexual assault in the Philippines has happened in Cagayan province.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
The bishops must never condone, tolerate or cover up child abuse among the clergy. In the Philippines, it is likely none have ever done it. Many try to pay off the victim’s families to drop charges. That priest will feel above the law, protected by the church and bishop, and will abuse more children.
That real faith of laypeople and true Christians will not be shaken no matter what scandal of child abuse by corrupt clergy is revealed. Many may fall away from the Church and stop attending Mass and the sacraments having lost trust in the institutional Church
Prosecutors must be independent, strong and determined to never give in to pressure and steadfastly uphold the law equally. The judges must deliver justice without fear or favour nor be intimidated by anyone in power, moral or civil, and deliver justice for abused children.
While some cases of child abuse against priests in the Philippines have been seemingly frozen by some unworthy prosecutors and judges, not so with cases filed against non-clerical abusers. Many dedicated prosecutors and judges are actively doing that.
The brave and determined prosecutor in Zambales elevated the complaint of statutory rape against, Orlando Flores Jr., who abused an orphaned 10-year-old child in 2021. He was convicted on May 22 by a just judge, Gemma Theresa Hilario-Logronio, of the Regional Trial Court in Olongapo City.
The child was saved by social workers and therapists at the Preda Foundation’s home for abused children and became empowered and self-confident to give clear testimony. Emotional Release Therapy is where she screamed out her anger, hatred and punched the cushions as if punching her rapist.
She released all the pent up pain she was enduring and was healed. She became self-confident and strong of mind and heart. With the conviction of Flores, she is now free of her abuser forever. Many more children will be safe from the serial rapist jailed for life.
The child was saved by social workers and therapists at the Preda Foundation’s home for abused children and became empowered and self-confident to give clear testimony
Hilario-Logronio wrote, “[the child’s] testimony on how she was raped by the accused remained consistent, and was able to describe with all accuracy and truthfulness. She did not sway a bit through cross examination, instead her testimony remained consistent in all material points.”
The evidence of the medical-legal examination of the 10-year-old showed healed lacerations and added weight to the child’s testimony. The clear straight forward testimony of an immature child told with frankness and honesty won the conviction.
The truth is plain to see and the truth is what brings justice. Priests, bishops and lay people have to cleanse the Church of this “filth” as Pope Benedict XVI called clerical child abuse before his death. Pope Francis demands that child abusing priests be tried by the civil authorities. Bishops are called to protect the children, the people, their priests and their Church by ridding their dioceses of child-abusing priests.
To achieve this, in June 2015 Pope Francis set up a Vatican tribunal to try clergy and bishops for child abuse, or for failing to stop and prevent the abuse of children and for covering up an act of child abuse. That is the absolute conviction and belief that goodness, truth, justice and love of neighbour and protecting children will overcome and triumph over evil.
They are the most important. “Whoever will accept one child as this is accepts me,” Jesus said [Matthew 18:5-6]. What more encouragement do we need to stand for the victims?
Father Shay Cullen
www.preda.org
