Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, Philippines addressed the topic of Clergy Sexual Misconduct in Asia at the recent Towards Healing and Renewal symposium, which was organised by the Jesuit-run Pontifical Gregorian University. Delegates from over 100 episcopal conferences, 30 religious orders and numerous specialists in the field attended the conference, which was held from February 6 to 9. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi SJ said the conference enjoyed the “full support” of the Roman Curia and the Vatican Secretariat of State.
Archbishop Tagle noted that the number of reported cases of sexual abuse of children and other sexual misconduct among priests are fewer compared to the national averages, but stressed that “This does not mean, however that the Churches ignore the reported cases.”
Archbishop Tagle said that “the relative silence with which the victims and Asian Catholics face the scandal is partly due to the culture of “shame” that holds dearly one’s humanity, honour and dignity. For Asian cultures, a person’s shame tarnishes one’s family, clan and community. Silence could be a way of preserving what is left of one’s honour.”
Archbishop Tagle presented seven elements of a pastoral response to the crisis, the first of which is the pastoral care for the victims and their families. The other elements are: the pastoral care of the hurting community, whether a parish, a diocese, or a congregation; the pastoral care for the priest offender; the pastoral care of the priest offender’s family; the pastoral care of the non-offender clergy; the pastoral care of superiors and bishops; and formation, both seminary formation and the permanent or ongoing formation of the clergy.
To read Archbishop Tagle’s speech Clergy Sexual Misconduct: Some Reflections from Asia, click here.
Photo credit: http://www.rcam.org/