Priests in relationships more a problem in PHL than those involved in child abuse —CBCP exec

Filipino priests in consensual but prohibited relationships with adults outnumber those who are engaged in child abuse, an official of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines has said.

Father Jerome Secillano, the executive secretary of the CBCP's Committee on Public Affairs, made the remark after Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle's emotional opening address at the conference on child abuse at the Vatican.

"'Yung sinasabi nating sexual abuse regarding minors, dito sa Pilipinas, hindi ganoon kataas 'yung kaso. Ang nakikita natin dito sa Pilipinas, ito 'yung relationship between adults," CBCP Public Affairs Committee Executive Secretary Fr. Jerome Secillano said in an  News To Go interview.

"Pero 'yung nangyayari sa Europa, sa Amerika na bumibiktima ng mga bata, parang wala pa tayong masyadong napapakinggan, nalalaman na ganiyang kaso dito sa Pilipinas. Palagay ko meron, pero hindi katulad ng sabi nga nating consensual relationship. 'Yun ang parang prevalent dito sa Pilipinas," he added.

Secillano said that as of the moment, no information is available on the degree of the cover up of abuses in the Catholic Church as a whole, as well as the degree of the cover up of the Church's scandals in the country.

"Dito sa Pilipinas, aminin natin na merong nangyayaring ganyan, pero 'yun kasing mga ganitong kaso, hindi naman ito talaga pinag-uusapan nang ganito, halimbawa sa media. Hindi rin ito pinag-uusapan ng parang sa publiko pero may ginagawa ang Simbahan. Inaaksyunan ng Simbahan 'yung ganitong mga kaso," he said.

Secillano cited an example years ago of a priest who had an intercourse with a minor. The member of the clergy was charged and a canonical procedure went through.

Secillano said the priest is no longer doing ministry, had no "priestly faculties," and is awaiting the civil penalty.

The CBCP head explained that there are other cases where priests involved in scandals had to go through rehabilitation, especially medicinal penalty, where the gravity of the case is examined to determine whether a priest could still be "reformed."

"During those processes na nangyayari, 'yung pari ay wala doon sa kaniyang diocese, tinanggalan siya ng parokya, at nasa isang facility siya. So meron din kaming facility, ang Simbahan dito sa Pilipinas. Meron ding facility kung saan dinadala 'yung mga pari na merong kaso."

Secillano said religious congregations of priests involved in abuses could also be held accountable.

Secillano's comments came after Manila Archbishop Luis Cardinal Tagle acknowledged the Catholic church's cover up of clerical sexual abuse in a summit in Vatican.

Secillano said that heads of religious congregations admitted that they were involved in the cover ups.

"Inamin na nga rin 'yan ng mga religious congregations before pa nag-start itong summit na ginagawa sa Vatican." —Jamil Santos/NB, GMA News