Priests in Philippines accused of sex abuse remain in active ministry, US-based group says

The Manila Times

Priests in Philippines accused of sex abuse remain in active ministry, US-based group says  Philippine priests accused of sex abuse remain in active ministry in the Catholic-majority country, a US-based abuse tracking group said on Jan. 29, 2025, urging the country's bishops to take action and hold the alleged perpetrators accountable. BishopAccountability.org, which tracks abuse in the Catholic Church, said 82 priests and brothers from the Philippines and some who served in the country for a period in their lives had been accused of sex abuse. At least seven of the accused priests continue to serve in parishes across the archipelago, some as recently as last month, the group's co-director Anne Barrett Doyle said at a news conference. Philippine bishops have a 'deep sense of entitlement' in withholding information on the abuse of priests in their diocese, said Barrett Doyle who also urged the government to prosecute the alleged offenders, adding that none of those accused have been convicted for wrongdoing.  REUTERS VIDEO  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe    Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes #tmtnews #catholicchurch

Transcript

00:00They feel entitled to withhold information about sexual violence toward minors.

00:06They feel entitled to defend accused priests, knowing full well that those statements will discourage victims and witnesses.

00:14They feel entitled to return priests accused of very serious crimes to ministry without humbly accounting for why they feel the priest poses no risk.

00:25These are men who fear nothing.

00:28Bishops all around the world were commanded to start reaching out with pastoral tenderness to victims,

00:34to start removing priests from ministry when they get a credible allegation, and to practice zero tolerance.

00:44Zero tolerance does not exist in the Philippine church.

00:48I know that there has been some movement in the Philippines towards more responsible safeguarding,

00:54but as long as the problem is contained within the church, there won't be justice and real movement.

01:24For more UN videos visit www.un.org

Category

Transcript

Comments

Recommended