Aware of the storm that erupted after the press conference with which it reacted to the report of the commission analyzing the abuse of minors, the hierarchy of the Catholic Church yesterday launched a damage reduction operation, which pivots the Archbishop of Évora, Francisco Senra Coelho, and the Bishop of Angra, Armando Esteves Domingues. The two communiques signed announcing the suspension of priests suspected of abuse: one in Évora and two in the Azores (one from Terceira Island and the other from São Miguel).
This news emerged on the same day that the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Affairs unanimously approved PSD and Chega’s requests to have the President of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference (CEP), Bishop José Ornelas, the committee headed by child psychiatrist Pedro Strecht (who, at the request of of the CEP investigated the abuse of minors in the church) and the Minister of Justice.
“We want to play an active role in resolving this dramatic situation that affects society as a whole.”
Bishop Ornelas said he received the summons with “satisfaction”. “For my part and on the part of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, we are fully available to provide all necessary clarifications in the Assembly of the Republic regarding the actions we are carrying out in the context of sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable people” , he said.
“We want to participate actively in the solution of this dramatic situation that affects the whole of society,” assured the president of the CEP, adding that the parliamentary hearing “is a positive point that goes against some decisions made in the last plenary session of the episcopate Portuguese”, held on Friday in Fátima.
According to him, these decisions already have “practical consequences, from the outset, on the part of some dioceses that have received the lists [de nomes de alegados abusadores] elaborated with all the competence of the Independent Commission and the Historical Research Group of the Diocesan Archives and Institutes of Consecrated Life”.
“If you ask me if the church should support, help the victim, be with the victim’s suffering, it’s not the church if it doesn’t.”
“We have all committed (…) to make transparent (…) this investigation, which I do not think leaves anyone indifferent,” he said, adding that “the measures that have already been taken and that will be implemented in the coming days to be continued, [a ser postas em prática] are a sign of a serious commitment by the Church in Portugal and a total commitment to eradicating the sexual abuse of children and young people, as this is not only devastating for the victims, but also completely contradicts what the Church is, what they is her role and what she intends to do”.
Archbishop is against CEP
However, in Évora, Archbishop Senra Coelho objectively contradicted what the CEP had said about non-payment of damages, saying that there will indeed be a right to payments when there are court decisions in this regard.
“If the church as an institution has responsibilities and is asked to compensate, then of course it must compensate. How much? It is the judiciary that says,” said the Alentejo prelate. Then emphasizing, “If you ask me if the Church should support the victim, help, be with the victim’s suffering, it’s not the Church if she doesn’t.”
Source: DN
