MALTA
Malta Independent
‘I cannot remain silent when faced with the murder of a human being’ – Gozo Bishop Mario Grech
Kevin Schembri Orland
Sunday, 13 September 2015
Gozo Bishop Mario Grech took a strong stand against abortion during an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday, adamant that human life must always be at the forefront.
He explained that this is especially true in cases where a human being is defenceless. “I think, in my ethical opinion, this is non-negotiable. This doesn’t mean I am going to interfere with the state or tell the legislature what to do. However, as a citizen, I cannot remain silent when faced with the murder of a human being. If we believe that from the moment of conception there is life, then every intervention that can weaken, put in peril or remove life, is ethically wrong.” …
‘When I hear about an allegation regarding abuse of minors, I call the priest and limit his ministry as a precaution’
Turning to Dominic Camilleri, a priest who was recently defrocked over allegations of child abuse that drew media attention, the Bishop was asked about the allegation that Dominic Camilleri held mass privately while under suspension from doing so.
“When I hear about an allegation regarding abuse of minors, I call the priest and limit his ministry as a precaution. My predecessor did the same, I think, and in fact, I think he went further and suspended all his ministries. This means that the priest will not be able to hold mass, let alone hear confession. It was reported that in 2013 he held private mass – what does that mean, in a private home? One would not have control over that, but if were in a public place, then yes, that would fall under the responsibility of the Bishop. However, this doesn’t appear to have happened and, in fact, the opposite did. There were a number of occasions when he, for a family reason, would need to administer his ministry and would always seek permission. Many times, that permission was not given.” The Bishop explained that before 2013 there was a very personal matter where the priest was granted permission. After May 2013, however, he was not granted permission for any such requests.
He spoke of the alleged uproar that occurred within the Gozitan Church regarding the handling of Dominic Camilleri’s case, Bishop Grech said he wasn’t aware of it. “Not to say that I completely deny it, but I am not aware of it.” He also said that he wasn’t aware of the letter sent to the Cardinal and copied to the Pope. He said that he hadn’t been contacted by the Holy See or the Apostolic Nuncio, but rather to the contrary. When he saw the first report in the papers, he contacted the Apostolic Nuncio who told him to continue business as usual and not to consider what is being said in the papers.
The media report read that the letter held a number of strong allegations including that he was considered to be a bully. Bishop Grech said that “It’s not for me to describe myself, but I can assure you I try to do everything but bully. One of my secretaries once told me – ‘Priests come here and always leave smiling after a meeting. It’s not in my nature to bully. I’m aware that I’m a bishop. Everyone is human and has his or her own shortcomings; however, I try to be careful to be meek and gentle.”
Turning to the issue of child abuse, the Bishop explained that the Church in Malta and Gozo, in 1999, set up what was called the ‘response team’. “Later it changed name, but not substance. Today, it is known as the Safeguarding Commission. I was on the Commission that created the policy, as well as on the team. I am aware of our responsibilities. I have to say this, however: whenever there was a case involving a Gozitan priest, I would excuse myself, as, being from Gozo, I lived with them and did not wish to judge them. When I was made Bishop, the Holy See organised a course for baby bishops. Once appointed, I was no longer on the response team and I remember that Central European bishops were not even aware of abuse by priests on children, or perhaps they didn’t want to be aware. In the UK, however, their mentality was like ours. This was the situation in 2006. In Italy, for example, they wouldn’t even mention the issue and would continue to handle it like they did before. Seven years prior, we had set up the response team. The Safeguarding Commission is competent for both the Archdiocese in Malta and Gozo and Mr Andrew Azzopardi is both the Archbishop and my delegate, so such cases are in the hands of the Commission.”
On the length of time such cases take to conclude, the Bishop believes it is not fair on either the alleged victims or the alleged perpetrator. “Only when the final decision is made, truth is established, so until then the priest is always presumed guilty. It’s not fair on anyone. It was taking too long and this is why we changed policy, but this length of time is not only evident in Malta, but also in Rome. I think it’s a matter of manpower. The more case load one has, the slower the process.”
The Bishop was asked if any preventative policies exist, rather than tackling cases after they occur. “We check the register and if they are not there, then there is no reason to withhold them. Nowadays, during their Priestly formation we do deal with this issue and speak with our students regarding the gravity of such acts and their responsibilities as men of the Church. The policy for cases of sexual abuse has a preventive section as well.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.
