VATICAN CITY (VATICAN CITY)
Vanguardia MX [Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico]
May 2, 2025
By Mauricio Ortega Galindo
Bishop Accountability, a U.S. organization that compiles cases of sexual abuse committed by priests and assists victims, accused Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of failing to act on abuse cases.
The US organization, which held a press conference in Rome, stated that “ no church official in the world has played such a central role in keeping hidden information about sexual crimes within the Vatican as Cardinal Parolin .”
In reference to Tagle, who is the current pro-prefect of the Dicastery of Evangelization and former Bishop of Manila, Bishop Accountability added that “despite speaking eloquently about healing the wounds of victims of clerical sexual abuse ,” the Filipino cardinal “ has been ineffective in improving the plight of victims of sexual abuse in the Philippine Church .”
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Furthermore, the American organization that collects cases of sexual abuse committed by priests and helps victims continues, ” it is such a hostile environment for victims that only one person who survived sexual abuse by clergy has agreed to be publicly identified .”
On the other hand, through a video conference, Filipino lawyer Michal Gatchalian explained that he is “ the only survivor of clergy abuse in the Philippines who has come forward ” and that, he asserted, “ I filed my lawsuit more than 23 years ago and I filed it on my own, without the support of my family, my community or anyone else .”
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” Now, 23 years later, I’m a lawyer, still involved in the same defense. And very little has changed. Victims face the same pressure and the same difficulties ,” Gatchalian concluded.
For her part, Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, accuses Parolin of preventing the publication of important documents and expressed her complete rejection of his becoming pope.
Barrett Doyle also stated that all requests for documents related to abuse are ” staying in Parolin’s office ” and went on to say that the Australian Royal Commission, which requested documents on abuse in the country, has not received a response, nor has the 2018 report prepared in Chile by the two papal envoys been published.
” This is a cover-up and obstruction of justice ,” the association’s co-director emphasized.