3 priests 'fit' to return to ministry after sexual abuse allegations — Cebu archdiocese

MANILA, Philippines — Three priests accused of sexual abuse of minors in the Archdiocese of Cebu have returned to active ministry after following due process, Archbishop Jose Palma said.

In a statement on Thursday, January 30, Palma said the three priests, who were previously suspended due to allegations of sexual abuse, have been re-integrated into active ministry after going through the “required legal and canonical processes.”

“On this note we attest that of the names listed, only three names are identified as incardinated in the archdiocese and have already been re-integrated [into] active ministry today but only because 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’s statement read. 

The archbishop said that one of the priests is currently in Cebu but has been assigned to another diocese “to facilitate an ongoing renewal program that was required of him by his diocesan bishop.”

“He has been fully cooperative with both civil and ecclesiastical authorities that are overseeing his situation,” the statement read. 

“To the knowledge of the archdiocese, one is reported to have been dismissed from the clerical state and one passed away years ago,” it added. 

The Cebu prelate also said that this applies to some priests who previously served the archdiocese but are no longer affiliated with it, either having returned to their religious congregations or having become part of the diocesan clergy.

Palma then assured that the archdiocese has been “always proactive” toward safeguarding minors and vulnerable adults. 

“Currently also, steps are made to require the members of the clergy of the Archdiocese of Cebu to undergo annual and obligatory participation in safeguarding measures for them to continue in active service,” the archbishop said. 

Palma’s statement came after a report by BishopAccountability.org, a US-based website tracking sexual abuses of clergy, said that some priests who were accused of sexual abuse remain in active ministry. 

According to the organization, at least seven priests continue to serve in parishes across the country. 

In response, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David said the CBCP has put up a body to protect minors which is led by a bishop. 

“Our mandate from Rome is to take the issue of accountability very seriously, especially those related to alleged abuse cases involving priests,” David said, according to a Reuters report.