Philippine Bishops defend papal frontrunner over clerical sex abuse

Telegraph

04-05-2025

The Philippines' governing body of Catholic bishops has issued a rare statement in defence of papal frontrunner Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle over his handling of past clerical sexual abuse cases.
A watchdog group warned on Friday, just days before the election of a new pontiff, that Tagle and Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, another favourite, could not be relied on to protect children.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) released a statement on Saturday night saying that addressing allegations of misconduct by clergy rests not with Tagle, but 'with the respective diocesan bishops or religious superiors'.
'Since his appointment to a full-time position in the Roman Curia, Cardinal Tagle no longer holds direct authority over any diocese in the Philippines,' the CBCP added.
It also highlighted the key role Tagle, 67, had played while he was archbishop of Manila from 2011 to 2019 in crafting pastoral guidelines dealing with sexual abuse cases.
Anne Barrett Doyle, the co-director of BishopAccountability.org, argued on Friday that the guidelines have not been published on the webpages of the Manila archdiocese nor the bishops' conference of the Philippines.
'If Cardinal Tagle cannot even get his brother bishops from his home country to publish guidelines, what on earth can we expect for him to achieve as pope of a global church?' asked Ms Doyle.
She accused the Church in the Philippines of remaining in the 'dark ages' on the subject of clerical sexual abuse.
Tagle, who has been dubbed 'the Asian Francis' for his similarly progressive views, has faced criticism for not being vocal enough about such cases in his home country.
Ms Doyle reserved even stronger criticism for Parolin, who she branded a 'consummate secret-keeper' who could not be counted on for transparency around sex abuse matters.
Both Tagle and Parolin are considered top contenders to replace Pope Francis when voting begins in the secretive, centuries-old ritual of electing a new pontiff begins on Wednesday.
This conclave stands out due to its sheer size, with 133 cardinal electors from 71 countries – the most ever – and 108 of which were selected by Pope Francis.
Over the weekend, several cardinals spoke openly about needing more time in consultations, arguing that no clear frontrunner has emerged. A candidate needs to garner a total of 89 votes – a two-thirds majority, in order to be elected Pope.
'The Holy Spirit has already decided but we are not yet ready, we need more time to pray,' French cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco told Italian daily La Stampa.
'We have 133 names and it is wide open,' added Chilean Cardinal Fernando Natalio Chomali Garib.
Vatican authorities said there will be two sessions of consultations held on Monday to try to accelerate discussions amid the rising cacophony of speculation in Rome.
The city is now buzzing with international journalists tracking cardinals in and out of churches, trattorias and coffee bars for a glimpse of behind-the-scenes manoeuvring.