PHILIPPINES
Rappler
Paterno Esmaquel II
MANILA, Philippines – After being confronted with a sex abuse complaint, Philippine Jesuits are revisiting the rules of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and the Holy See to seek guidance in handling the case.
The case involves Lucas (not his real name), who once studied in a school run by the Society of Jesus or the Jesuits, the biggest male religious order in the Catholic Church. (READ: Part 1: Ex-Jesuit accused of sexual abuse)
Lucas said a Jesuit, who eventually left the Society of Jesus, abused him “a few hundred times” from 1984 to 1987, starting when he was 15.
What do the rules of the Catholic Church say about sexual abuse cases like this?
We consulted 3 documents cited by Fr Jose Quilongquilong SJ, the investigator assigned to meet with the persons involved. He sat down for an interview with Rappler on Sunday evening, November 22.
Quilongquilong showed us a landmark document by the CBCP in 2003, and two from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
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