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Advocates press for accounting of sex-abuse cases in Pope Leo's past jurisdictions
Advocates press for accounting of sex-abuse cases in Pope Leo's past jurisdictions

Los Angeles Times

time11-05-2025

  • Politics
  • Los Angeles Times

Advocates press for accounting of sex-abuse cases in Pope Leo's past jurisdictions

The new pope, Leo XIV, has this in common with many of his peers in the Catholic hierarchy: He's been in positions of authority when accusations of sexual abuse have arisen against priests under his supervision. Now some advocates for victims say there needs to be an accounting of how Leo — the name taken by Cardinal Robert Prevost upon his election Thursday — handled such cases when he held positions of church authority in Chicago and Peru. And they hope that as pope, he will crack down on other bishops who they say are mishandling similar cases. 'Some might advise giving the new pontiff the benefit of the doubt. We disagree. It is on Pope Leo XIV to win the trust of victims and their families,' Anne Barrett Doyle of the advocacy group said in a statement. In its statement, contended that unlike many dioceses and religious orders, Prevost never published a list of accused abusers under his supervision. The group also asserted that in his most recent Vatican post, Prevost maintained 'secrecy' in the disciplinary process for bishops. 'Under his watch, no complicit bishop was stripped of his title,' it said. Some advocates, however, credit Prevost with supporting survivors of an abusive, Peru-based Catholic movement that was eventually dissolved by the late Pope Francis. Prevost 'stood with us when others didn't. That's why his election matters,' said abuse survivor and journalist Predo Salinas, who helped found the group Ending Clergy Abuse. No one has accused the pope of any act of abuse. Nor is he accused of what many Catholic bishops worldwide have done — knowingly keeping confirmed abusers in public ministry — in what has been the defining scandal of the Catholic Church in recent decades. Rather, he's been accused of falling short in his responses to cases in Chicago and Peru. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests filed a formal complaint on March 25 against then-Cardinal Prevost with the Vatican secretary of state, alleging he abused ecclesiastical power in his handling of two cases. The filing amounted to a formal call for an investigation under rules established by Pope Francis in 2023 for dealing with the hierarchy's handling of abuse cases. One case involves the time when Prevost was based in Chicago as the Midwest regional leader of the Order of St. Augustine. The case involved James Ray, then a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago. The archdiocese placed him on restricted ministry in 1990 due to abuse allegations, according to a later report by the Illinois attorney general's office. Bishops often imposed such restrictions — with varying levels of enforcement and typically without warning the public — until the sex-abuse scandal exposed by the Boston Globe in 2002 in the Boston Archdiocese led to a nationwide policy of automatic removal from ministry. According to the complaint, Ray — who was not an Augustinian — was allowed to live at an Augustinian friary in Chicago from 2000 to 2002. The archdiocese, not the Augustinians, had ultimate responsibility for Ray as one of its priests, and there's no indication that anyone had a legal duty to inform neighbors that an accused abuser lived among them. But the complaint alleges that Prevost was aware of the arrangement, citing a 2000 internal archdiocesan memo, and should have informed the school. 'By doing so, Cardinal Prevost endangered the safety of the children,' the complaint said. Ray was moved out of the friary in 2002 and eventually left the priesthood. Prevost became worldwide leader of the Augustinians later that year. The other case involves Prevost's tenure as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. In April 2022, three women came forward to accuse two priests — Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzales and Ricardo Yesquen — of sexually abusing them beginning in 2007, when they were girls, according to the complaint. The diocese, led by Prevost, forwarded information about the case to the Vatican office overseeing such complaints. It closed the case without a finding, though the diocese reopened the investigation in 2023 after Prevost left for a Vatican post. The complaint says the diocese suspended Gonzales from ministry pending investigation but that later photos showed him continuing to celebrate Mass publicly. It said the diocese reported that Yesquen was no longer in ministry due to his age and health. According to the complaint, Prevost fell short because the diocese did not interview the women — depriving the Vatican investigators of potentially vital information — and failed to offer support to the accusers or to report the priests to civil authorities. Bishop Edinson Farfán, Prevost's successor in Chiclayo, defended his predecessor's handling of the case, saying it's important to be sensitive to the alleged victims while also respecting the investigative process. The Vatican investigation said Prevost acted correctly in imposing preliminary restrictions on Gonzales while Peruvian authorities conducted their own civil investigation, the typical way the church handles allegations that are also being investigated by secular authorities. Nine days after Peruvian authorities closed the case because the statute of limitations had expired, Prevost was publicly named to take over the Vatican's office for bishops, leaving the diocese. The Vatican's dicastery for the doctrine of the faith ultimately shelved the case, citing a lack of sufficient evidence to proceed with a canonical trial against Gonzales. Some hoped Prevost's intervention in a scandal involving the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a Catholic movement in Peru, was a sign of reforms to come. Salinas said in a statement that the new pope, then in his role as bishop of Chiclayo, played a pivotal role in confronting the case, which is considered one of the most egregious sex-abuse scandals in Latin America. In a remarkable move, Pope Francis dissolved Sodalitium Christianae Vitae in January over alleged sexual and spiritual abuses and financial mismanagement. 'The world is waiting,' said Gemma Hickey, president of Ending Clergy Abuse. 'Let this pope be remembered not for the global abuse crisis he inherits, but for how he ends it.' In 2023, when he took the Vatican job of overseeing the selection of bishops, Prevost told Vatican News that there has been progress in how some bishops have handled abuse but that more work was needed with 'bishops who have not received the necessary preparation' to deal with it. He added: 'Silence is not the solution. We must be transparent and honest, we must accompany and assist the victims, because otherwise their wounds will never heal.' Francis had a mixed record on responding to the clergy sexual abuse crisis. Most notably in 2018, he bungled a major case in Chile before reversing course, ordering an investigation and apologizing to the victims. Ultimately, it became a turning point for how he handled cases of priests sexually abusing children for the rest of his papacy. Smith writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Holly Meyer and Nicole Winfield contributed to this report.

Advocates press for accounting of sex-abuse cases in new pope's past jurisdictions
Advocates press for accounting of sex-abuse cases in new pope's past jurisdictions

Boston Globe

time10-05-2025

  • Boston Globe

Advocates press for accounting of sex-abuse cases in new pope's past jurisdictions

Advertisement In its statement, contended that unlike many dioceses and religious orders, Prevost never published a list of accused abusers under his supervision. The group also contended that under his most recent Vatican post, Prevost maintained 'secrecy' in the disciplinary process for bishops. 'Under his watch, no complicit bishop was stripped of his title,' it said. Some advocates, however, credit Prevost with supporting survivors of an abusive, Peru-based Catholic movement that was eventually dissolved by the late Pope Francis. Prevost 'stood with us when others didn't. That's why his election matters,' said abuse survivor and journalist Predo Salinas, who helped found the group Ending Clergy Abuse. Related : No one has accused the pope of any act of abuse himself. Nor is he accused of what many Catholic bishops worldwide have done — knowingly keeping confirmed abusers in public ministry — in what has been the defining scandal of the Catholic Church in recent decades. Advertisement Rather, he's been accused of falling short in his responses to cases in Chicago and Peru. Survivors network filed complaint in March The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests filed a formal complaint on March 25 against then-Cardinal Prevost with the Vatican secretary of state, alleging he abused ecclesiastical power in his handling of two cases. The filing amounted to a formal call for an investigation under rules established by Pope Francis in 2023 for dealing with the hierarchy's handling of abuse cases. One case involves the time when Prevost was based in Chicago as the Midwest regional leader of the Order of St. Augustine. From left, survivor-activists psychoneurologist Denise Buchanan, psychotherapist Peter Isely, Kazlaw Injury & Trauma Lawyers' support team specialist Leona Huggins, and president of Ending Clergy Abuse Timothy Law hold a wooden cross as they arrive at the Vatican, in September 2023. Riccardo De Luca/Associated Press The case involved James Ray, then a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago. The archdiocese placed him on restricted ministry in 1990 due to abuse allegations, according to a later report by the Illinois attorney general's office. Bishops often imposed such restrictions — with varying levels of enforcement and typically without warning the public — until the explosive sex-abuse scandal exposed by the Boston Globe in 2002 in the Boston Archdiocese led to a nationwide policy of automatic removal from ministry. According to the complaint, Ray — who was not an Augustinian — was allowed to live at an Augustinian friary in Chicago from 2000 to 2002. The archdiocese, not the Augustinians, had ultimate responsibility for Ray as one of its priests, and there's no indication that anyone had a legal duty to inform neighbors that an accused abuser lived among them. But the complaint alleges that Prevost was aware of the arrangement, citing a 2000 internal archdiocesan memo, and should have informed the school. Advertisement 'By doing so, Cardinal Prevost endangered the safety of the children,' the complaint said. Ray was moved out of the friary in 2002 and eventually left the priesthood. Prevost became worldwide leader of the Augustinians later that year. Second case arose during Prevost's time in Peru The other case involves Prevost's tenure as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. In April 2022, three women came forward to accuse two priests — Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzales and Ricardo Yesquen — of sexually abusing them beginning in 2007, when they were minors, according to the complaint. The diocese, led by Prevost, forwarded information about the case to the Vatican office overseeing such complaints. It closed the case without a finding, though the diocese later reopened the investigation in 2023 after Prevost left for a Vatican post. The complaint says the diocese suspended Gonzales from ministry pending investigation but that later photos allegedly showed him continuing to celebrate Mass publicly. It said the diocese reported that Yesquen was no longer in ministry due to his age and health. Related : According to the complaint, Prevost fell short because the diocese did not interview the women — depriving the Vatican investigators of potentially vital information — and failed to offer support to the accusers or to report the priests to civil authorities. Bishop Edinson Farfán, Prevost's successor in Chiclayo, defended his predecessor's handling of the case, saying it's important to be sensitive to the alleged victims while also respecting the investigative process. Pope Leo XIV concelebrated Mass with the College of Cardinals inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican the day after his election. Uncredited/Associated Press The Vatican investigation said Prevost acted correctly in imposing preliminary restrictions on Gonzales while Peruvian authorities conducted their own civil investigation, the typical way the church handles allegations that are also being investigated by secular authorities. Advertisement Nine days after Peruvian authorities closed the case because the statute of limitations expired, Prevost was publicly named to take over the Vatican's office for bishops, leaving the diocese. The Vatican's dicastery for the doctrine of the faith ultimately shelved the case, citing a lack of sufficient evidence to proceed with a canonical trial against Gonzales. His role in confronting abuse in Catholic movement Some hoped Prevost's intervention in a scandal involving the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a Catholic movement in Peru, was a sign of reforms to come. Salinas said in a statement that the new pope, then in his role as bishop of Chiclayo, played a pivotal role in confronting the case, which is considered one of the most egregious sex-abuse scandals in Latin America. In a remarkable move, Pope Francis dissolved Sodalitium Christianae Vitae in January over alleged sexual and spiritual abuses and financial mismanagement. 'The world is waiting,' said Gemma Hickey, president of Ending Clergy Abuse. 'Let this pope be remembered not for the global abuse crisis he inherits, but for how he ends it.' In 2023, when he took the Vatican job of overseeing the selection of bishops, Prevost told Vatican News that there has been progress in how some bishops have handled abuse but that more work is needed with 'bishops who have not received the necessary preparation' to deal with it. He added: 'Silence is not the solution. We must be transparent and honest, we must accompany and assist the victims, because otherwise their wounds will never heal.' Francis had a mixed record on responding to the clergy sexual abuse crisis. Most notably in 2018, he bungled a major case in Chile before reversing course, ordering an investigation and apologizing to the victims. Ultimately, it became a turning point for how he handled cases of priests sexually abusing children for the rest of his papacy. Advertisement Associated Press reporters Holly Meyer and Nicole Winfield contributed.

Advocates press for accounting of sex-abuse cases in new pope's past jurisdictions
Advocates press for accounting of sex-abuse cases in new pope's past jurisdictions

Yahoo

time09-05-2025

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

Advocates press for accounting of sex-abuse cases in new pope's past jurisdictions

The new pope, Leo XIV, has this in common with many of his peers in the Catholic hierarchy: He's been in positions of authority when accusations of sexual abuse have arisen against priests under his supervision. Now some advocates for victims say there needs to be an accounting of how Leo — the name taken by Cardinal Robert Prevost upon his election Thursday — handled such cases when he held positions of church authority in Chicago and Peru. And they hope that as pope, he will crack down on other bishops who they say are mishandling similar cases. 'Some might advise giving the new pontiff the benefit of the doubt. We disagree. It is on Pope Leo XIV to win the trust of victims and their families,' Anne Barrett Doyle of the advocacy group said in a statement. Some advocates, however, credit Prevost with supporting survivors of an abusive, Peru-based Catholic movement that was eventually dissolved by the late Pope Francis. Prevost 'stood with us when others didn't. That's why his election matters,' said abuse survivor and journalist Predo Salinas, who helped found the group Ending Clergy Abuse. To be clear, no one has accused the pope of any act of abuse himself. Nor is he accused of what many Catholic bishops worldwide have done — knowingly keeping confirmed abusers in public ministry — in what has been the defining scandal of the Catholic Church in recent decades. Rather, he's been accused of falling short in his responses to cases in Chicago and Peru. Survivors network filed complaint in March The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests filed a formal complaint on March 25 against then-Cardinal Prevost with the Vatican secretary of state, alleging he abused ecclesiastical power in his handling of two cases. The filing amounted to a formal call for an investigation under rules established by Pope Francis in 2023 for dealing with the hierarchy's handling of abuse cases. One case involves the time when Prevost was based in Chicago as the Midwest regional leader of the Order of St. Augustine. The case involved James Ray, then a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago. The archdiocese placed him on restricted ministry in 1990 due to abuse allegations, according to a later report by the Illinois attorney general's office. Bishops often imposed such restrictions — with varying levels of enforcement and typically without warning the public — until the explosive sex-abuse scandal exposed by the Boston Globe in 2002 in the Boston Archdiocese led to a nationwide policy of automatic removal from ministry. According to the complaint, Ray — who was not an Augustinian — was allowed to live at an Augustinian friary in Chicago from 2000 to 2002. The archdiocese, not the Augustinians, had ultimate responsibility for Ray as one of its priests, and there's no indication that anyone had a legal duty to inform neighbors that an accused abuser lived among them. But the complaint alleges that Prevost was aware of the arrangement, citing a 2000 internal archdiocesan memo, and should have informed the school. 'By doing so, Cardinal Prevost endangered the safety of the children,' the complaint said. Ray was moved out of the friary in 2002 and eventually left the priesthood. Prevost became worldwide leader of the Augustinians later that year. Second case arose during Prevost's time in Peru The other case involves Prevost's tenure as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. In April 2022, three women came forward to accuse two priests — Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzales and Ricardo Yesquen — of sexually abusing them beginning in 2007, when they were minors, according to the complaint. The diocese, led by Prevost, forwarded information about the case to the Vatican office overseeing such complaints. It closed the case without a finding, though the diocese later reopened the investigation in 2023 after Prevost left for a Vatican post. The complaint says the diocese suspended Gonzales from ministry pending investigation but that later photos allegedly showed him continuing to celebrate Mass publicly. It said the diocese reported that Yesquen was no longer in ministry due to his age and health. According to the complaint, Prevost fell short because the diocese did not interview the women — depriving the Vatican investigators of potentially vital information — and failed to offer support to the accusers or to report the priests to civil authorities. But according to news reports, the diocese said it followed the correct steps in investigating and that Prevost did meet with the women. The Vatican investigation said Prevost acted correctly in imposing preliminary restrictions on Gonzales while Peruvian authorities conducted their own civil investigation, the typical way the church handles allegations that are also being investigated by secular authorities. Nine days after Peruvian authorities closed the case because the statute of limitations expired, Prevost was publicly named to take over the Vatican's office for bishops, leaving the diocese. The Vatican's dicastery for the doctrine of the faith ultimately shelved the case, citing a lack of sufficient evidence to proceed with a canonical trial against Gonzales. His role in confronting abuse in Catholic movement Some hoped Prevost's intervention in a scandal involving the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a Catholic movement in Peru, was a sign of reforms to come. Salinas said in a statement that the new pope, then in his role as bishop of Chiclayo, played a pivotal role in confronting the case, which is considered one of the most egregious sex-abuse scandals in Latin America. In a remarkable move, Pope Francis dissolved Sodalitium Christianae Vitae in January over alleged sexual and spiritual abuses and financial mismanagement. 'The world is waiting,' said Gemma Hickey, president of Ending Clergy Abuse. 'Let this pope be remembered not for the global abuse crisis he inherits, but for how he ends it.' In 2023, when he took the Vatican job of overseeing the selection of bishops, Prevost told Vatican News that there has been progress in how some bishops have handled abuse but that more work is needed with 'bishops who have not received the necessary preparation' to deal with it. He added: 'Silence is not the solution. We must be transparent and honest, we must accompany and assist the victims, because otherwise their wounds will never heal." Francis had a mixed record on responding to the clergy sexual abuse crisis. Most notably in 2018, he bungled a major case in Chile before reversing course, ordering an investigation and apologizing to the victims. Ultimately, it became a turning point for how he handled cases of priests sexually abusing children for the rest of his papacy. In its own statement, also contended that unlike many dioceses and religious orders, Prevost never published a list of accused abusers under his supervision. It also contended that no bishops were disciplined for mishandling abuse cases during his tenure in his most recent Vatican post. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Advocates press for accounting of sex-abuse cases in new pope's past jurisdictions
Advocates press for accounting of sex-abuse cases in new pope's past jurisdictions

Winnipeg Free Press

time09-05-2025

  • Politics
  • Winnipeg Free Press

Advocates press for accounting of sex-abuse cases in new pope's past jurisdictions

The new pope, Leo XIV, has this in common with many of his peers in the Catholic hierarchy: He's been in positions of authority when accusations of sexual abuse have arisen against priests under his supervision. Now some advocates for victims say there needs to be an accounting of how Leo — the name taken by Cardinal Robert Prevost upon his election Thursday — handled such cases when he held positions of church authority in Chicago and Peru. And they hope that as pope, he will crack down on other bishops who they say are mishandling similar cases. 'Some might advise giving the new pontiff the benefit of the doubt. We disagree. It is on Pope Leo XIV to win the trust of victims and their families,' Anne Barrett Doyle of the advocacy group said in a statement. Some advocates, however, credit Prevost with supporting survivors of an abusive, Peru-based Catholic movement that was eventually dissolved by the late Pope Francis. Prevost 'stood with us when others didn't. That's why his election matters,' said abuse survivor and journalist Predo Salinas, who helped found the group Ending Clergy Abuse. To be clear, no one has accused the pope of any act of abuse himself. Nor is he accused of what many Catholic bishops worldwide have done — knowingly keeping confirmed abusers in public ministry — in what has been the defining scandal of the Catholic Church in recent decades. Rather, he's been accused of falling short in his responses to cases in Chicago and Peru. Survivors network filed complaint in March The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests filed a formal complaint on March 25 against then-Cardinal Prevost with the Vatican secretary of state, alleging he abused ecclesiastical power in his handling of two cases. The filing amounted to a formal call for an investigation under rules established by Pope Francis in 2023 for dealing with the hierarchy's handling of abuse cases. One case involves the time when Prevost was based in Chicago as the Midwest regional leader of the Order of St. Augustine. The case involved James Ray, then a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago. The archdiocese placed him on restricted ministry in 1990 due to abuse allegations, according to a later report by the Illinois attorney general's office. Bishops often imposed such restrictions — with varying levels of enforcement and typically without warning the public — until the explosive sex-abuse scandal exposed by the Boston Globe in 2002 in the Boston Archdiocese led to a nationwide policy of automatic removal from ministry. According to the complaint, Ray — who was not an Augustinian — was allowed to live at an Augustinian friary in Chicago from 2000 to 2002. The archdiocese, not the Augustinians, had ultimate responsibility for Ray as one of its priests, and there's no indication that anyone had a legal duty to inform neighbors that an accused abuser lived among them. But the complaint alleges that Prevost was aware of the arrangement, citing a 2000 internal archdiocesan memo, and should have informed the school. 'By doing so, Cardinal Prevost endangered the safety of the children,' the complaint said. Ray was moved out of the friary in 2002 and eventually left the priesthood. Prevost became worldwide leader of the Augustinians later that year. Second case arose during Prevost's time in Peru The other case involves Prevost's tenure as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. In April 2022, three women came forward to accuse two priests — Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzales and Ricardo Yesquen — of sexually abusing them beginning in 2007, when they were minors, according to the complaint. The diocese, led by Prevost, forwarded information about the case to the Vatican office overseeing such complaints. It closed the case without a finding, though the diocese later reopened the investigation in 2023 after Prevost left for a Vatican post. The complaint says the diocese suspended Gonzales from ministry pending investigation but that later photos allegedly showed him continuing to celebrate Mass publicly. It said the diocese reported that Yesquen was no longer in ministry due to his age and health. According to the complaint, Prevost fell short because the diocese did not interview the women — depriving the Vatican investigators of potentially vital information — and failed to offer support to the accusers or to report the priests to civil authorities. But according to news reports, the diocese said it followed the correct steps in investigating and that Prevost did meet with the women. The Vatican investigation said Prevost acted correctly in imposing preliminary restrictions on Gonzales while Peruvian authorities conducted their own civil investigation, the typical way the church handles allegations that are also being investigated by secular authorities. Nine days after Peruvian authorities closed the case because the statute of limitations expired, Prevost was publicly named to take over the Vatican's office for bishops, leaving the diocese. The Vatican's dicastery for the doctrine of the faith ultimately shelved the case, citing a lack of sufficient evidence to proceed with a canonical trial against Gonzales. His role in confronting abuse in Catholic movement Some hoped Prevost's intervention in a scandal involving the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a Catholic movement in Peru, was a sign of reforms to come. Salinas said in a statement that the new pope, then in his role as bishop of Chiclayo, played a pivotal role in confronting the case, which is considered one of the most egregious sex-abuse scandals in Latin America. In a remarkable move, Pope Francis dissolved Sodalitium Christianae Vitae in January over alleged sexual and spiritual abuses and financial mismanagement. 'The world is waiting,' said Gemma Hickey, president of Ending Clergy Abuse. 'Let this pope be remembered not for the global abuse crisis he inherits, but for how he ends it.' In 2023, when he took the Vatican job of overseeing the selection of bishops, Prevost told Vatican News that there has been progress in how some bishops have handled abuse but that more work is needed with 'bishops who have not received the necessary preparation' to deal with it. He added: 'Silence is not the solution. We must be transparent and honest, we must accompany and assist the victims, because otherwise their wounds will never heal.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Francis had a mixed record on responding to the clergy sexual abuse crisis. Most notably in 2018, he bungled a major case in Chile before reversing course, ordering an investigation and apologizing to the victims. Ultimately, it became a turning point for how he handled cases of priests sexually abusing children for the rest of his papacy. In its own statement, also contended that unlike many dioceses and religious orders, Prevost never published a list of accused abusers under his supervision. It also contended that no bishops were disciplined for mishandling abuse cases during his tenure in his most recent Vatican post. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Philippine bishops defend papal frontrunner over clerical sex abuse
Philippine bishops defend papal frontrunner over clerical sex abuse

Herald Malaysia

time05-05-2025

  • Politics
  • Herald Malaysia

Philippine bishops defend papal frontrunner over clerical sex abuse

It noted that Tagle played a key role in crafting pastoral guidelines on sexual abuse that were disseminated in 2003 in the Manila Archdiocese May 05, 2025 Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle attends a rosary prayer at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome on April 24, 2025. (Photo: AFP) By AFP, Manila The Philippines' governing body of Catholic bishops has issued a rare statement on clerical sexual abuse, defending Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle on the issue days before the opening of a conclave to elect a new pope. Watchdog group warned Friday that Tagle and Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin could not be relied on to protect children, with its co-director accusing the church in the Philippines of remaining in the "dark ages". Both men are considered frontrunners to replace Pope Francis. Cardinals from around the world are currently in the Vatican, ahead of a conclave on March 7 to elect a new pontiff. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) posted a statement to its Facebook page Saturday night saying that "addressing allegations of misconduct by clergy rests with the respective diocesan bishops or religious superiors" and not with Tagle. "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 statement dated May 2 reads. It also noted the key role Tagle -- who served as archbishop of Manila between 2011 and 2019 -- had played in crafting pastoral guidelines on sexual abuse that were disseminated in 2003. Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of said Friday that guidelines dealing with sexual abuse cases have not been published on the webpages of the Manila archdiocese or 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 Doyle. AFP journalists on May 4 could not find the document cited by the CBCP, "Pastoral Guidelines on Sexual Abuses and Misconduct by the Clergy," on the body's website. Calls to the CBCP and the Manila Archdiocese were not immediately returned. Doyle reserved even harsher criticism for Italian cardinal Parolin, calling him a "consummate secret-keeper" and saying "any hope of transparency around sex abuse will be dashed completely", were he to be

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