MANILA Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle's "humbling and painful admission" that the bishops' lack of response to victims of clergy sexual abuse inflicts wounds on them "validates" President Rodrigo Duterte's accusations against some members of the Catholic Church, Malacañang said Friday, February 22.
In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Tagle's statement during a historic Vatican summit was a "significant undertaking in raising awareness on child abuse committed by the members of the clergy."
"This is a common theme of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s speeches and a validation of his running criticism on the men of the cloth," the Palace official said.
"Recognizing the misdeeds of the past by some members of the clergy is a humbling and painful admission on the venerable Roman Catholic Church known for its culture of self-denial and secrecy," he added.
Tagle broke into tears on Thursday, February 21, when he acknowledged that bishops like him inflicted wounds on minors sexually abused by erring members of the Catholic Church when they failed to respond.
The Manila archbishop made the remark in a presentation during the three-day Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church, a historic summit on fighting child sexual abuse.
"Our lack of response to the suffering of victims, even to the point of rejecting them and covering up the scandal to protect perpetrators and the institution, has injured our people, leaving a deep wound in our relationship with those we are sent to serve," Tagle said.
"We humbly and sorrowfully admit, that wounds have been inflicted by us, bishops, on the victims, and in fact the entire body of Christ," he added.
Tagle's admission came amid Duterte's persistent tirades against the Catholic Church, which he called as the "most hypocritical institution."
The President has repeatedly lambasted the clergy for being "pretentious and hypocrites."
Duterte has become critical of the Catholic Church after the prelates expressed strong opposition to his bloody crackdown on illegal drugs.
The Chief Executive has also repeatedly made public the abuse he had suffered at the hands of a priest when he was a teenager.
Panelo recognized that Tagle's "pained" admission on the clergy's "long-kept secret abomination" is part of the Church's wrenching and cleansing process.
"As the Holy Father conceded, concrete and effective measures are needed to address this issue," he said.
"We remain confident that with Pope Francis at the helm, whose pontificate brought a surge of energy and fresh air into the life of the Roman Catholic Church, the spirit of reform will continue unhampered to further cleanse and rejuvenate the Church," he added. (SunStar Philippines)