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The Pope asks the Church "a firm will to clarify cases of abuse"

2022-01-11T14:21:53.331Z


Francisco's words contrast with the refusal of the Spanish Episcopal Conference to investigate the 251 cases that EL PAÍS handed over to this body and to the Holy See


Pope Francis has said it ad nauseam. But this Monday, in the traditional meeting and speech before the diplomatic corps accredited to the Vatican, the Pontiff again asked the members of the Church to take seriously the "crimes" of sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy. "There must be a firm will to clarify, examining individual cases to determine responsibilities" and "do justice." Francisco's words contrast with the casting of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE) before the investigation that it should carry out - as required by the law promulgated by the Pontiff - of the 251 cases of abuse delivered by EL PAÍS to the Spanish institution and Francisco himself. After making the report public on December 19,the EEC ignored the investigation and assured that it should be carried out by the Vatican.

The 385-page dossier delivered to the Vatican refers to abuses that, added to previously known cases, already affect at least more than 1,200 victims. The oldest case in the report dates from 1943, and the most recent, from 2018. All are unpublished, except for 13 already published, which have been included because new complaints have arisen against these clergymen. The Holy See, through a brief statement, showed the “closeness” and “attention” of the Pontiff with all the victims on the same day that the information was published. The EEC's response was one of a long silence, first, and of an attack on this newspaper, later, blaming a lack of rigor to the investigation and hiding behind the death of many of the abusers so as not to proceed with the investigation, as is their case. obligation. A month has passed since the report was delivered to the president of the EEC,Juan José Omella, and only five of the 31 dioceses affected by these cases have approached EL PAÍS to ask to contact the complainants. Most religious orders, on the contrary, have already opened investigations.

Once the EL PAÍS dossier was known, Pope Francis and the archbishop of Barcelona and president of the EEC, Juan José Omella, had a conversation. The Vatican, as it usually does when the complaints are so numerous and do not belong to a single order, diocese or specific abuser, will supervise through the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith the entire process carried out by the CEE. Rome will expect results, which according to its own code, should arrive in no more than three months. That is why the position of the Spanish Church has come as a surprise.

The documentation was also delivered to Omella, who acted in accordance with the norms: she immediately handed it over to the ecclesiastical court of her diocese. His position, more open-minded and in favor of transparency in the investigation of these cases, clashes with that of a sector of the Spanish Church that considers that everything responds to a smear campaign. His position, however, has so far failed to prevail. The EEC is a collegiate body and its president does not have a real executive power. The archbishop of Barcelona is in a minority in the governing bodies and, among the 70 Spanish bishops, the current opposed to the investigation is the majority.

The Pope insisted in his speech before the diplomatic corps on the issue and pointed directly to the educational sphere, where abuses have occurred for decades. “The Catholic Church has always recognized and valued the role of education in the spiritual, moral and social growth of the young generations. For this reason, it is even more painful for me to note that in various educational settings - parishes and schools - there have been abuses of minors, with serious psychological and spiritual consequences for the people who have suffered them ”, said Francisco. And he added to the ambassadors: "They are crimes on which there must be a firm will to clarify, examining individual cases to determine responsibilities, bring justice to the victims and prevent such atrocities from being repeated in the future.""Despite the seriousness of these acts, no society can renounce its responsibility to educate," he added.

The Pope's words also coincide with the visits

ad Limina Apostolorum

("on the threshold of the apostles") that the bishops of each country make to the Pontiff every five years to render accounts.

This week the prelates of the ecclesiastical provinces of Tarragona, Barcelona and Valencia, belonging to the second group of these meetings, are in Rome.

But throughout the month the rest of the bishops of the Spanish dioceses will also do so.

If you know of any case of sexual abuse that has not seen the light of day, write us with your complaint to

abusos@elpais.es

Source: elparis

All life articles on 2022-01-11

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