MANILA (PHILIPPINES)
Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News) [Hong Kong]
February 6, 2025
By Father Shay Cullen
The rule of law must prevail so that the child victims can have justice, freedom, and a good happy life
Philippine Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David has reacted to the allegations by a US-based non-government organization that researches and documents clergy that are credibly accused, charged, and convicted of child sexual abuse internationally.
His words are very welcome to defenders of child rights who campaign for justice for victims of child exploitation and abuse.
It is the first time that we have heard a Philippine cardinal encourage the laity to assist child victims in filing criminal charges in civil courts against abusive priests.
David, who is the bishop of Kalookan and now president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), is a human rights defender who stood up against former president Rodrigo Duterte in defense of victims of summary executions and their families.
Now, he is standing with victims again as all Christians must.
Recently, he told the media, “The Church, being a human institution, is not exempt from sin and corruption. Admittedly, lack of accountability compromises our moral and spiritual authority.”
He went on to say, “Please don’t hesitate to file complaints against abusive clerics whether in the civil or Church forums.”
Of course, the more credible forum is the civil forum in the Philippine justice system, where there is a better chance that justice will be done and seen to be done.
The Church forum is favored by Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle who said in an interview with Stephen Sakur on the BBC’s Hardtalk program that all allegations of child abuse against clergy are private and confidential to the Church authorities.
This implied that even if there is credible evidence of heinous, despicable crimes, they will never be brought to a civil court to stand trial if at all possible. There is a sense of impunity and privilege among priests and bishops that they are somehow above the law and untouchable.
Church authorities, at most times, cannot admit the truth and are likely to be afraid of a loss of status, respect, reputation and trust. Their first instinct is to defend the Church as an institution, to deny and hide or cover-up the truth and transfer the priest to another parish, send him abroad, or send him to a luxurious rest house in Tagaytay, south of Manila overlooking Taal Lake and the volcano.
Pope Francis advised them to stand with the victim, provide independent protection and healing, and enable the child to testify so the truth emerges. They should never protect the priest who claims he is innocent until proven guilty.
The abusive priest must be told to prove his innocence in a court of law. It would be better if he followed what he preached to the faithful: confess, admit his guilt, and accept his penance even while behind bars. Then, he could ask for forgiveness.
Only then can the victim have justice and healing and the Church and the bishops’ credibility and mandate to serve the victims would be fulfilled.
Sadly, some bishops have put themselves in a bad light by harboring and coddling the accused priests. Also, civil courts and judges are not always the most transparent forum for finding justice for victims of clerical abuse. Judges can come under intense pressure from Church authorities and Catholic lawyers.Even victims are sometimes pressured by Church officials to withdraw their complaints and their parents are offered money in a cruel attempt to pervert the course of justice and deny closure to the child victim. As in the case of Cagayan, in the northern Philippines where, the first priest to be imprisoned is awaiting trial in Solana town.
Father Karole Reward Israel has admitted to rape and sexual assault against a 15-year old child. He also videotaped the abuse and threatened to blackmail her. The lawyers have evidence for a strong case. The judge has set trial hearings to last until 2026.
There is no likelihood of speedy justice for child victims in the Philippines unless a special children’s court is established and continuous hearings are held.
Israel is one of 82 priests named in the database posted by bishop-accountability.org on Jan. 29. Nine priests from the Archdiocese of Cebu are also named in it as being credibly accused of child abuse crimes. The archbishop’s house admitted that three of the priests are still members of the diocesan clergy and are active in the Church ministry. They have not been held to account and have since been reintegrated into active ministry.
Following the allegations, Archbishop José S. Palma of Cebu made a statement promising transparency and full protection to victims of clergy abuse and their families.
The archdiocese released a long letter quoting the words of Jesus Christ when he said: “If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose his faith in me, it would be better that a millstone be tied around his neck and he be drowned in the deep sea.” (Matthew 18:6-7, Good News Translation GNT).
However, the letter of the Archdiocese of Cebu used a different and incorrect translation writing, “If anyone should cause any of these little ones to sin…”
The little ones are the innocent children; the clerical abuser is the sinner and not the child. The children are not sinners and cannot be accused of being sinners.
Jesus also said: “Whoever welcomes in my name one such child as this, welcomes me.” (Matt 18:5).
How can the Archdiocese of Cebu call a child a sinner since Jesus identified himself with the innocent child? Victim blaming is a tactic, however, unintentional perhaps in this case, to exonerate the abuser.
All of us must be vigilant in our attitudes and use of words and actions, especially by the otherwise good-intentioned bishops who will exonerate their priests of wrongdoing to children and welcome them into the ministry where they are putting more children at risk.
As a wise Cardinal David said, “The pope himself has been more decisive in his moves to impose disciplinary action on us bishops if he finds evidence that we’re not even lifting a finger to discipline our erring priests.”
The cardinal also called for more transparency and openness to the public and the media regarding inaction by some bishops. “Of course, we’re not always successful in this regard, and we need the help and participation of our lay people, including our professional journalists, who are our allies in the quest for truth and fact-checking and the battle against disinformation. Let’s keep the bridges open among ourselves,” he said.
Meanwhile, a priest who is an academic and should know more about the extent of child sexual abuse among the clergy worldwide and in the Philippines, criticized the database launch by bishop-accountability.org.
Father Ranhilio Aquino, dean of the Graduate School of Law, San Beda University, and a professor at the Philippine Judicial Academy, said it is unfair to the majority of Philippine clergy for blaming them all and has not followed due process and the principles of justice.
Aquino does not understand that the exposure of the truth by naming only 82 priests and asking for justice for victims is the purpose of the database. The group has never accused the Philippine clergy or portrayed them in a bad light as he claims.
The database named specific priests with credible evidence against them like Father Israel of Cagayan, and Father Serlito Villar of Cebu, where strong evidence of multiple sexual assaults against an 11-year-old boy over months have been presented by legally meticulous prosecutors.
Aquino should know it is the Church officials who are disregarding the principles of justice and due process by protecting pedophile priests and allowing them back into communities where they will likely abuse children again.
Though possessing a brilliant legal mind, the priest-academic may yet study the law RA 7610 and become a child defender.
That is what the Church needs, a strong commitment to the rule of law for the defense of children abused by clerics so that the children can have justice, freedom and a good happy life.
*The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.