Palma prays for vigilance amid issues on sexual abuse of some priests

CEBU, Philippines —  Archbishop Jose Palma hopes for the faithful to keep praying, while also staying vigilant as issue on sexual abuse of priests, including some Cebu-based, resurfaced.

“We acknowledge as an Archdiocese that sexual abuse of priests involving minors deeply wound the very fabric of our faith life and community and cause irreparable damage to the lives of the victims that can scar them for life,” Palma said in a statement released yesterday.

As the church continues to confront these painful realities, Palma continued to invite the faithful to keep praying for their ministers.

The archbishop also asked the faithful “to help in the vigilance of creating and fostering safe spaces in the Church most especially for the most vulnerable of her members.”

The archdiocese, on the other hand, Palma said continued to remain proactive in the safeguarding of minors and vulnerable adults.

“In fact, the Archdiocese of Cebu is among the first in the Philippines to formally set up a Safeguarding Ministry Office as mandated by Vos Estis Lux Mundi in 2019," Palma said.

The Archdiocese of Cebu also required the members of the clergy to undergo annual and obligatory participation in safeguarding measures for them to continue in active service, while other church reforms are also being done, Palma said.

“We do not face the crisis alone or restricted to particular persons. We move together as a community to find redemption. To this sense, we are all pilgrims of hope,” Palma said.

Palma also hopes that “the truth will reign and genuine justice will be served,” while also requesting everyone to help the Archdiocese to be faithful.

Palma ended his statement with this request, “May we request everyone to help the Archdiocese of Cebu to be faithful and worthy of her mission."

Palma issued the statement after a recent report from a website called, BishopAccountability.org, has identified 82 priests and religious brothers with ties to the Philippines who have been publicly accused of sexually abusing minors.

The list of priests included Filipinos accused of abuse within the country; Filipino clergy alleged to have committed offenses while serving abroad; and foreign priests who worked in the Philippines and were later involved in misconduct.

Cebu, a province with a strong Catholic presence, is among the areas where several accused priests have been identified.

While the report does not specify how many cases occurred in Cebu yet, the mention of local clergy raised concerns on abuse allegations.

Church officials have acknowledged past abuses but insisted that reforms have been implemented to prevent further cases. —/ JG (FREEMAN)