Father Shay Cullen is an Irish Columban missionary who has worked in the Philippines since 1969. In 1974, he founded the Preda Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to protecting the rights of women and children and campaigning for freedom from sex slavery and human trafficking.
Philippine bishops at the International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu in January 2016. The Catholic Church in the country has been dealing with the issue of child abuse by clergy for decades. (Photo: Mark Saludes/ UCAN files)
The latest and most shocking investigation into sexual abuse by Catholic priests has been released in the United States. Hundreds of victims in the Archdiocese of Baltimore have come forward to report their suffering and Archbishop William E. Lori has issued a statement of apology.
The report released on April 5 by Maryland Attorney-General Anthony Brown revealed 156 priests abused more than 600 children since the 1940s through 2002 “while the archdiocese leadership looked the other way.”
“Time and again, members of the Church’s hierarchy resolutely refused to acknowledge allegations of child sexual abuse for as long as possible,” the report said.
The situation in Asian Churches today is not different from what is acknowledged in the Baltimore archdiocese.
In the US, Attorney-General Brown set up a website and a call center to get victims to come forward and hundreds did. However, no such historical research or investigation has ever been done in Asia, particularly the Philippines, by the Church to reach out to the victims and bring clerical sex abusers to account and justice.
There appears to be no change in the policy of the Philippine Church, as Cardinal Archbishop Antonio Tagle told the BBC some years ago that child sexual abuse in the Church is a private internal matter.
"The victims get no therapy, no help, no Good Samaritan to heal and help them"
But there is a big change in the Philippine judiciary. Some priests accused of child abuse are facing the court process even if their alleged crimes were covered up by some bishops.
A Catholic priest accused of multiple rape and sexual assault crimes against a 15-year-old church volunteer is facing justice in Cagayan province. Father Karole Reward Israel is in jail, with no bail.
Father Conrad Mantac was arrested in Saga City in March this year for the alleged rape of a 17-year-old choir member.
A Negros Occidental priest Father Aron Buenacosat was arrested and charged with the alleged rape of a child, only four years old, in February.
We see hope in the Philippine judiciary that is acting on Christian convictions and principles and is more determined to bring healing through justice for the child victims. Hopeful, the clerics and bishops will hand over the pedophile priests to be held accountable and not hide them away in retreat houses and therapy shelters in the false hope of curing them.
The victims get no therapy, no help, no Good Samaritan to heal and help them.
Therapy shelters for pedophiles to avoid justice and accountability will never work nor cure them. The Philippine law is clear — to molest a child 16 years or younger is statutory rape.
Pedophilia is like an addiction, the abuser just has to abuse children to satisfy his sexual desires and urges. Bishops who hide priests away in a shelter are protecting pedophiles and denying justice to the victims. That is a crime in itself, for it amounts to aiding and abetting a criminal.
The children victimized have cried in silence and suffered all their lives with the stigma and pain of having been raped and abused without help or justice. Fear and intimidation prevent children or their parents from reporting clerical child abuse.
Clerical abusers have powerful friends that can pressure judges and prosecutors but the judiciary must stand strong and do justice according to the law.
"One protective bishop called a child abuser priest 'his son'"
More recently, the prosecutors are petitioning the judges to refer vulnerable children to protective homes where they are healed and empowered.
There are about 10,000 priests in the Philippines for a population of 110 million, many of them Catholics. I’ve never heard in my 53 years here of a priest reporting child abuse by a fellow priest.
One protective bishop called a child abuser priest “his son.”
Pope Francis called them otherwise. “Often, behind their boundless amiability, impeccably activity, and angelic faces, they shamelessly conceal a vicious wolf ready to devour innocent souls,” he said in his Christmas message.
Faith in Jesus of Nazareth is not so much in dogmas, rites, and rituals. It is acting on the belief that goodness, truth and love of neighbor will overcome evil.
How heinous it is when the abuse is done by a cleric who is supposed to represent the values of Jesus of Nazareth but instead betrays them.
This is the challenge facing the People of God: to be a person of integrity, have true faith in standing against evil, and help our neighbor as did the Good Samaritan.
The cover-up of crimes is totally forbidden by the Church law, moral law, civil law, and conscience. Priests and religious are bound to obey their conscience and follow Jesus of Nazareth who said the child is the most important in the Kingdom.
Pope Francis said that some pedophile priests and their backers “without batting an eye” were ready to enter into a “web of corruption” by abusing children and covering up the crimes or failing to report them.
Everyone in the Philippines has to stand and support the pope in cleansing the Church of this filth and upholding child rights, justice, and dignity.
*The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.
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