US watchdog: 10 priests with Cebu ties accused of sexual abuse
CEBU CITY, Philippines – At least 10 priests with ties to Cebu have been publicly accused of sexually abusing minors, according to an online database that tracks cases of abuse by Catholic clergy.
Such cases of sexual abuse “deeply wound the very fabric of our faith life and community and cause irreparable damage to the lives of the victims,” Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said in a statement on Thursday, January 31.
The website BishopAccountability.org published on Wednesday, January 30, a list of 82 priests and brothers with ties to the Philippines who have been publicly accused of abuse of minors. The list is based on reports published “by reputable news sources in the media, publicly filed court documents, church announcements, and other public sources.”
The website also clarified that unless otherwise stated, “the reports contained in the database are mere allegations,” and that the database “does not state or imply that individuals facing allegations are guilty of a crime or liable for a civil claim.”
Palma, who released his statement in reaction to the publicized names, said only three of those listed are incardinated or attached to the Archdiocese of Cebu and are in active ministry. He did not identify them.
“They have gone through the required legal and canonical processes in the past and have been determined by competent civil and ecclesiastical authorities as fit to return to active ministry but with continued guidance and supervision,” Palma said.
A priest, however, can be linked to a diocese or archdiocese without being incardinated.
The other Cebu-linked priests on the list are either connected with religious orders or attached to other dioceses, Palma said. Some priests also once served the archdiocese but are no longer connected to it.
Palma said “the archdiocese has always been proactive in her stance towards the safeguarding of minors and vulnerable adults.” He said Cebu was among the first in the Philippines to set up a Safeguarding Ministry as mandated by Vos Estis Lux Mundi, the motu proprio issued by Pope Francis in 2019 to put in place new procedures to fight sexual abuse in the church.
Palma’s statement “is vague in many aspects,” said church volunteer and former Cebu Daily News publisher and editor-in-chief Eileen Mangubat.
“Who are the priests he describes in various paragraphs? The public is left guessing which one Archbishop Palma is referring to,” Mangubat said. “This statement falls short of a satisfactory response to specific, fact-based observations, and allegations of bishopaccountability.org. The world is watching Cebu.”
“One can only hope that while the guilty is to be punished, the innocently accused needs also to be spared. At times, the distinction is overlooked,” Palma said in his statement.
Palma said sexual abuse is often considered a problem for the church heirarchy and the parties of the case. He said the approach needs a “new paradigm” and should now involve the entire church.
“We do not face the crisis alone or restricted to particular persons. We move together as a community to find redemption. To this sense, we are all pilgrims of hope,” said Palma, a former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
The current CBCP president, Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, told Rappler on Thursday that Filipino bishops “welcome initiatives“ holding people in power accountable.
“The Church, being a human institution, is not exempt from sin and corruption. Admittedly, lack of accountability compromises our moral and spiritual authority,” David said. “Please don’t hesitate to file complaints against abusive clerics whether in the civil or church forums.”
During a press conference on Wednesday, BishopAccountability.org co-director Anne Barrett Doyle however said “Philippine bishops feel entitled to their silence” as they withhold information from the public. “These are men who fear nothing.” – Rappler.com