CBCP says sorry to victims of Vatican sex Scandal

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said yesterday the Church must apologize for the alleged sexual misconduct of priests in several countries.

"And I think what the Church first has to do in the face of such report is ... to say sorry. To express great sorrow for such sinfulness," CBCP president Archbishop of Cotabato Orlando Quevedo said over the weekend.

The National Catholic Reporter had reported that sexual abuse of nuns by priests, especially in AIDS-ravaged Africa, is a serious problem. But The Associated Press later said the Vatican denied the report by saying the cases were isolated and geographically limited.

The National Catholic Reporter cited cases in 23 countries, including the Philippines, the United States, India and Ireland.

However, Quevedo clarified that no case of rape against nuns by priests has ever been reported in the Philippines.

"It’s a very, very sad report. The whole Church, priests, bishops, pope and lay people have to face this problem," he said in an interview Friday evening in CBCP’s Intramuros office.

He said that in the Philippines, the CBCP, through its Episcopal Commission, has been emphasizing the need for a greater "personal human maturity" of candidates for the priesthood.

In fact, he said, most theological seminaries have to set aside one full year for intensive spiritual formation to develop the psycho sexual maturity of prospective priests.

Quevedo also said the Church is again pushing back the age for ordination. "We find out that the older the priest is, the more mature his decision is regarding the sacrifices that are needed for the priesthood such as celibacy."

He recalled having read of two cases of sexual misconduct by priests two years ago, one in Davao and the other in Manila.

But, he said, "for every priest who falls, you have hundreds of priests who do not (fall), who are faithful to their vows of celibacy."

Quevedo admitted that it is already a problem even if there is only one case of betrayal.

In such case, the moral responsibility and giving of compensation to the victim is on the priest who committed the sexual misconduct, he added. –Sandy Araneta