Reflections From Asia Tagle

7/31/2019 Reflections From Asia Tagle

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ClergySexualMisconduct:SomeReflectionsfromAsia+LuisAntonioG.Tagle

ArchbishopofManila,Philippines

The

so

called

crisis

of

the

clergy

unfolding

these

past

years

is

immense

in

scope.

It

includes allegations of sexualmisconduct, suspicions about the clergys handling ofmoney,

accusations ofmisuse of authority, inappropriate lifestyle and a host of other things. The

faithfulareappalledattherudenessoftheirpastors.Priestswhodonotpreachwellordonot

presideatsacraments religiouslycausescandalaswell.Sowhenwe refer to thecrisis in the

Churchrelatedtotheclergy,wearedealingwithamultifacetedreality.Butourcolloquiumis

centredontheallegationsandactualcasesofsexualmisconductonthepartoftheclergy.

Atfirstglance,thiscrisisseemstobeaboutexplicitlysexualbehaviouronly.Butacloser

lookat theactual cases reveals thatdeep theological, spiritual,anthropologicalandpastoral

casesareinvolved.Thatiswhytheimpressionistwaybywhichsomepeopletackletheproblem

isquiteinadequateandevenunfair.

Wealmostautomaticallyassociatethewordcrisiswithaproblemoradifficultsituation.

But the rootof theword crisis is theGreekkrino,whichmeans tomakedistinctionsand to

exercisejudgment. Italsoconnotesbeingsubjectedtojudgmentorbeingbroughttotrial.So

the core of a crisis lies in the fact that a particular situation demands discernment, right

judgment and decision. On the basis of ourjudgment and decision, otherswilljudge us. I

believetheallegationsandactualcasesofsexualmisconductonthepartoftheclergypresenta

crisisinthetwosensesoftheword.Ontheonehand,wehavetounderstand,judgeanddecide

onvariousaspectsofthematter.Ontheotherhandweshouldlistentowhattheworldandthe

restoftheChurchsayabouttheclergy.Topretendthatnoproblemexistsdoesnothelp.

AnAttemptatUnderstandingtheCrisisItisgoodtoberemindedattheoutsetthatthesexualmisconductoftheclergycoversa

whole rangeofactions thatarequitediverseandshouldnotbe lumped togetherunderone

category.Unfortunatelytreatingallthecasesuniformlyhasbeenthepanicresponse insome

quarters.While they all fall under the general heading of sexualmisconduct, each case is

unique. But due to the limitations of our conference, we cannot deal with the incidents

individually.


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My reflection ismeant to offerperspectives on the sexualmisconduct by the clergy

from the Churches in Asia. Since the vast continent of Asia is home to diverse cultures,

traditions and histories, it is almost impossible to pin down a single Asian perspective.My

Philippinebackgroundwillundeniablysurfaceinthispaper.ButIconsultedwithsomebishops,

pastors,

religious,

laypersons,

social

scientists

and

theologians

from

the

member

Churches

of

the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC) to gather some data, though not in a

strictlyscientificway.

Because theChurch isa tinyminority inmostAsian countries, the reported casesof

sexualabuseofchildrenandothersexualmisconductamongpriestsarefewercomparedtothe

nationalaverages.Thisdoesnotmean,howeverthattheChurches ignorethereportedcases.

In some parts of Asia, incidents of paedophilia are less than those of homosexual and

heterosexualrelationswithadults.Somepriestshavesiredchildren.Sofartherehavebeenfew

legal cases filed against clerics in Asia in the area of sexual criminal acts.When the crisis

erupted intheNorthernhemisphere,therewasatendencytothinkoftheproblemasmainly

tiedtoWesterncultures.Butsuchaviewchangedwhensimilarcasessurfaced inAsia.While

thevariousEpiscopalconferencesandreligiousordershavebeenaddressingtheallegationsas

theyarose,thereisapressingneedtoformulatenationalpastoralguidelinesforhandlingsuch

cases. The Catholic Bishops Conferenceof the Philippineshas undergone a longprocess of

crystallizingitsguidelinesthatarenowbeingfinalizedforpresentationtotheCongregationfor

theDoctrineoftheFaith.TherelativesilencewithwhichthevictimsandAsianCatholicsface

thescandal ispartlyduetothecultureofshamethatholdsdearlyoneshumanity,honour

anddignity.ForAsiancultures,apersonsshametarnishesonesfamily,clanandcommunity.

Silence couldbeawayofpreservingwhat is leftofoneshonour. It couldalsobea signof

trauma.Butmanyvictimsandcounsellorshavediscoveredthepotentialofshameorlovefor

ones human dignity as a source of selfrespect, courage and determination to act towards

healingandrenewalintheChurch,especiallyoftheclergy.

AtthispointIwouldliketoindicatesomeaspectsofthecrisisgeneratedbythesexual

misconductoftheclergy.TheexperiencesoftheChurchesinAsiahavecalledourattentionto

theseelements.

Firstisthepersonalandrelationalaspect.Intheholisticandpersonorientedworldview

ofAsianpeoples,sexualitydealswithapersonsidentityandrelationships.Itisnotjustabout

sexual preferences and actions arising from them. The fundamental question of sexuality is

Who am I? Ifwe put itmore philosophically and theologically, it asks What is a human


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being?Whatistheroleofrelationshipsinbeinghuman?Whattypesofrelationshipsaretruly

humanandhumanizing?

Thesecondaspectofthecrisisiscultural.ThecrisishasputAsianculturesandculturally

accepted

behaviours

to

judgment.

The

Bishops

of

the

Philippines

have

engaged

on

a

reflection

on Filipino cultureand theelementsof the culture thatmight serveasbreeding ground for

possiblesexualabuseormisconduct.LetusindicatesomeexamplesfromthePhilippinescene

thatmayhavesimilaritieswiththeexperienceinothercountriesofAsia.1.)Filipinocultureisa

touchingculture. It isalmostsecondnature forFilipinos to touch.People flock to thepriests

aftermasstokisstheirhands.Theyappreciateagentletouchfromtheirpastorstoo.Groupsof

teenageboysorgirlsfindnothingwrongtohugoneanotherorenvelopeafriendsshoulders

with their arms in public.We touch children a lot. But they cannot clearly distinguish an

affectionatetouch fromamaliciousone.Theyarevulnerabletomanipulationthroughtouch.

2.) Philippine culture confers much power on adults and those in authority. Minors and

subordinates tend tobe seenas possessionsofadultswho coulddoas theyplease in the

name of discipline and their good. The perspective of the child or subordinate is rarely

considered.Thisvacuumcouldmakeadultsinsensitivetoachildsemotion,painandneeds. 3.)

Family is looselyandbroadlydefined inPhilippineculture.Weareamazedathowapriest is

easilycountedamemberofaFilipinoCatholicfamily.Theyopentheirdoorsandallowyouto

enterthemostprivatesectionsofthehouse,eventhebedroomsof theirchildren.Culturally

thatexpressestrustinthepriest.Butwhenabuseoccurs,itismorepainfulbecausetheabuser

isnotastrangerbutoneconsideredafamilymember.4.)Ourculture tends to regard the

clergy asmore thanordinaryhumansbecause theypossess extraordinaryordivinepowers.

Powerinwhateverformcanharmwhenmisused.Becausetheculturecloudsovertheclergys

humanity, some of them hide their true selves and lead double lives. Duplicity can breed

abusivetendencies.Insum,Asianculturesarebeingaskedtodiscern.Whatboundariesshould

wesettopreventexpressionsofaffectionsfrombecomingtoolsofabuse?

Third is theecclesiasticalaspect.Whenacleric transgresses,even if theaction isnot

criminalinthecivilforum,ecclesiasticalvowsorpromisesareviolatedduetonormsthatarein

place.Thecrisisurgesus tounderstandmoredeeply theChurchsdisciplineand tohelp the

worldunderstandittoo.Acaseinpointiscelibacy.Afullerandmorejustunderstandingshould

situate itwithin the Churchs rich spiritual, pastoral and canonical tradition. The crisis has

impelledustounderstandagainthepromisetoremaincelibateandto leadachaste life.This

approachwillresonatewiththetraditionsoftheancientreligionsinAsia.Weneed,especially

information,theology,canonlawandmoraltheologyaseriousevaluationofthisissueandthe

varyingopinionson it.Manypeople think thatcelibacy issimplyarule that theconservative


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Churchhas toobserve for thesake tradition.Somemake it theculprit foralltypesofsexual

misconduct.Othersdefenditbutinanarrowlylegalisticwaythatprovesineffectual.Weneeda

serenebutcomprehensiveconsiderationofthematter.

The

fourth

is

the

legal

aspect.

The

laws

of

the

land

cover

a

whole

range

of

acts

deemed

criminal,someofwhichare intheareaofsexualacts.Therearealso legaldefinitionsthatdo

notalwayscorrespondtoourordinaryusageofterms.Itisgoodtoknowhowthelawdefinesa

child, rape and harassment. For example, there are laws safeguarding the well being of

employees. Harassment in theworkplace according to the lawmust be studied by Church

people. What signs of affection and types of gifts are legally acceptable? What can be

construedasharassment?ThediversepoliticalsituationsinAsiancountriesnecessitatethatthe

Churches instructtheirclergy intheircountrys legalsystem.Clericsarenotexemptfromthe

observanceandweightofthelawsoftheland.Itshouldbenotedthatthejurisprudenceinthe

Philippinesregardingsexualmisconductoftheclergy isnotfullydevelopedyet.Wegenerally

followtheunfoldingjurisprudenceintheUnitedStates.

Thefifthaspectisthemedia.BlessedPopeJohnPaulIIcalledthecontemporarymeans

ofsocialcommunicationsasthenewareopagus.Weliveinaworlddependentonanddrivenby

socialcommunication. In itselftheworldofmediaand internetconstitutesanewculture.For

theChurch,massmedianeedtobeevangelizedastheycouldverywellserveasameansforthe

spread of the Gospel and its values. Howevermedia practitioners observe thatwhen they

reportonabuses committedbypoliticians, financiers,etc, theChurchappreciates them.But

when they expose anomalieswithin the Church, they are branded as antiChurch and anti

Catholic,eveniftheirinformationcomesfrompeopleclosetotheChurch.Thecrisisinvitesus

to reassessour relationshipwith themedia.Aswe challenge them tobe fairand truthful in

whatevertheyarereporting,theChurchshouldalsobepreparedtobescrutinizedbymedia,

provided the norms of fairness and truthfulness applicable to all are observed.We cannot

ignorethefact,howeverthatinsomepartsofAsia,anantiChristiansentimenthaspenetrated

socialcommunications.

Finallythere isapastoralandspiritualaspecttothecrisis.Ultimatelythequestionfor

the clergy isoneofpersonal integritybeforeGodand theChurch. Iadmit that someof the

beautifulteachingsoftheChurchonpriesthoodarenotalwaysobservedbyuspriests.Integrity

inministeriallifeandrelationshipsisdemandednotonlyforthegoodoftheclergybutalsofor

the good of the Church community. The Church is harmed andwoundedwhenpastors are

abusiveintheirbehaviour.Thecrisisdefinitelyhasapastoraldimension.


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SomeElementsofaPastoralResponsetotheCrisisWenowpresentsomedirectionsthattheBishopsofthePhilippineshave identified in

theirresponsetoallegationsandactualcasesofsexualmisconduct.ManyChurchesinAsiaare

opting

for

the

same

pastoral

thrusts.

The firstelementofa response is thepastoralcare for thevictimsand their families.

Pastoral careencompassesjustice for them, compassion for them,protection for them,and

evenrestitutioninsomecases.TheleadersoftheChurchhavealwaysbeenaccusedofhelping

only the priest offender to the neglect of the victim. It is painful to listen to victims. But

allowing their stories tounfolddoesnotonlyhelp thembutawakens compassion inus.We

learn thedynamicsofvictimizationand thevictims reaction to theirsituation.Such learning

couldserveasadeterrenttovictimizationintheChurch.Thepastoralcareofvictimsandtheir

families resonates with cultural and religious traditions of Asia that put high value on

compassionforthesuffering.

The second aspect of the response is the pastoral care of the hurting community,

whetheraparish,adiocese,oracongregation.Thecommunitieswheretheviolationsoccurred

arealsowoundedandneedpastoralattention.Thepriest couldbe takenoutofaparish to

undergo renewal or rehabilitation. The victim could transfer residence. But the community

remains. For a parish community the pain lies in the violation of trust.How dowe handle

communitieswhosetrustintheirpriestshasbeenviolated?Ifwedonottaketherightsteps,if

we do communicate empathy, the communitymight conclude that the Church is tolerating

thesekindsofbehaviours,or theChurch simplydoesnotcare for them.Then theirwounds

becomedeeper.Isuggestthatdiocesanandcongregationalguidelinesbedrawntoprotectand

tocareforwoundedcommunities.Changingpastorsisnotenough.Weshouldfindaneffective

wayofallowingpeopletovoicehurts,togrieve,tounderstand,toforgive,andtomoveon in

hope.TheAsianpropensitytoquicklyrestoreharmonyoftenmakesusbelievethathealing

hasalreadyoccurredwhen itreallyhasnot.Weneedtodiscoverwaysofcommunityhealing

akintoAsiansensibilities.

Thethirdaspectisthepastoralcareforthepriestoffender.Theoffenderisusuallylost,

confused,andshamed.Heneedshelp,especiallyfromexperts,tounderstandandevaluatehis

situation. The priest can discover whether he has the capacity for celibate living. Some

decisionshavetobemade.Isthisanisolatedcaseorasignaloftheincapacitytocontinueonas

acelibate?Thebestwaytocarefortheoffenderistomakehimfaceuptothemisconduct.He

mustbemadeawareofecclesiasticalandcanonicalprocessesgoverninghisparticularcase.The


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bishopmustcarefullyobservetheproceduresespeciallywhenthegravemattercould leadto

dismissal from the clerical state. And if the offender decides to be dispensed from the

obligationsoftheclericalstate,thenthedioceseorthereligiousorderhelpsthepriesttostarta

new life. All the way, every step should be taken to ensure fairness, truthfulness and

compassion.

We

are

happy

to

note

that

many

priests,

religious

women

and

men

and

laypersons

in Asia have been preparing themselves professionally to be of help to clergywith special

needs.TheCatholicBishopsConferenceofthePhilippines(CBCP)establishedandoperatesthe

St.JohnMarieVianneyGalileeCentreforPriestlyRenewalthatoffersvariousprograms,oneof

which provides pastoral care to offender priests. The CBCP also has an Office for Bishops

Concernstoextendfraternalhelptobishopsindifficultsituations.

ThefourthaspectespeciallyneededinAsia,isthepastoralcareofthepriestoffenders

family.Theoffender isnot theonlyone lost, shamedand confusedbutalsohis family.Thefamilymembers feelbetrayedby theirsonorbrother.Theyevenblamethemselves.Where

did we go wrong in raising him? Though seldom verbalized, guilt nags their heart. They

withdraw from the community and suffer in silence. They need caring, particularly in Asia

wherethedishonourofonepersonwoundsthefamilyandclan.

Thefifthaspectisthepastoralcareofthenonoffenderclergy.Thosepriestswhohavenotcommittedanyoffensearealso lost,shamed,andconfused.Theyarealsofearfuloftheir

ownpastandwounds.Itisalsopossibleforprieststolookatoneanotherwithsuspicionsabout

eachotherspast. Someofthepriestoffendershavebeendismissed fromtheclericalstate,

someareservingtheirprisontermsandsomearelockedupinrehabilitationcentres.Butwho

continuetofacethecommunityandtherestoftheworld?Thenonoffenderclergycarrythat

burden.Theyhavetoanswerquestions.Theyhavetosharetheshameoftheirfellowpriestsby

theirmerebelongingtotheonepriesthood.Eveniftheydonottalkopenly,doubtsabouttheir

vocationcouldcreepin.Thecaringfornonoffenderclergystillneedstobedevelopedfurther

intheChurchesofAsia.

Thesixthareaofresponseisthepastoralcareofsuperiorsandbishops.Itisdifficultandpainful to be a superior or a bishop nowadays. You feel lost, confused and shamedwhen

anyoneoftheclergycommitssexualabuse.Asyouhelpyourpriests,youalsohavetojudge.At

thesametimeyoucannotdefendtheprieststotheneglectoftruth,justice,andthegoodof

the victims and the community. Superiors are battered from all sides. They are accused of

coveringup ifyouarediscreet. If theyare firm, theyareaccusedof lackofcompassion.But

experiencehastaughtthatinaction,meregeographictransferofpriestsandinsensitivitytothe

victimscompromise the integrityof the religioussuperiororbishop.Wecommend theFABC


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OfficefortheClergyfororganizingformationprogramsthatwouldequipthebishopsofAsiato

understandandhandletheclergyinvolvedinsexualmisconduct.

Thefinalareaofresponseisformation,bothseminaryformationandthepermanentorongoing

formation

of

the

clergy.

First

is

formation

in

human

maturity.

Of

the

many

aspects

of

humanmaturityoneimportantareaisresponsiblerelationships.Thisisthefocusofthecrisis:

thecapacity torelateresponsiblyandwithaccountability.Sensitivitytowomenandchildren,

understanding ones human and sexual development, andworking in teams are necessary.

Manyformationcentres,schoolsoftheology,Episcopalcommissionsforwomenandreligious

communitiesofwomeninAsiahavebeenactivelyinvolvedinhelpingseminariansandclergyin

this regard, as they also assist victims. The second isministerial accountability arising from

clarityofpurposeandidentity.IfIamnotclearaboutmyidentityandmypurpose,thenIwill

notbeaccountableformyactionsasaminister.Ibecomeaccountableforallmyactionstothe

extentthatIamclearaboutwhoIamasapriestandwhatIamfor.Thirdisthepurificationof

motivation.WhyamIinthiskindoflife?Isitforasenseofgrandeur,asenseofauthoritythat

thecultureandtheChurchgive?Isitinordertogetmoneythequickestwaypossible?InAsia

we should also appeal to our Catholic faithful not to pamper our seminarians and priests.

Fourthisformationinspirituality.Weneedtodevelopaspiritualitythatenablesustodiscern

GodscallingateverymomentandtorespondinservicetoGodinandatalltimes.Finallywe

needtotakepreventivestepsintheongoingformationoftheclergy.Theaspectsofformation

mentioned above should continue in priestly life. But because of the specific crisiswe are

facing, we need to revitalize the community life of priests, common prayer, sharing of

resources,spiritualdirection,simplicityoflifestyle,andacademicrenewalamongotherthings.

Werejoicethatthestigmaassociatedwithrenewalprogramshasbeenslowlydisappearing.

InthePhilippines,theCBCPVianneyGalileeCentrehascontributedmuchtothepositiveregard

forclergyrenewal.The trainedmembersof theteamoffernotonly therapeuticsessionsbut

also proactive programs like the Priests Assisted Renewal Integration, Courses in Human

SexualityandCelibateLiving,Assisted IntensiveRenewal forSeminaryPersonnel,Sessionsfor

priests inMidlifeTransitionand inSeniorYears.Thecentrehasbeen frequentedbybishops

andpriestsfromotherAsiancountriesaswell.Wedonotneedtowaitforabombtoexplode.

Preventingitfromexplodingisthebestresponse.

TheChurches inAsiaarenowbeginningtoaddressthecasesofsexualmisconductby

the clergy. Examining the cultures, traditions, family structures and emerging trends in our

societies tounderstand the rootsof thecrisis,wealsowant to tap the resourcesofferedby

Asian philosophies and religiosity embedded in our cultures for an adequate response. The


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mostimportantresourceforushoweveristheChristianfaiththatimpelsustobetruedisciples

ofChristinintegrity,justice,truthandlove.

Some

Resource

Materials

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2007,FABCPapersNo.123,(Hongkong:FABC,2007).

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Women inthePhilippineCatholicChurch (Manila;AssociationofMajorReligiousSuperiors in

thePhilippines),2011.

Kochappilly, Paulachan, Sexuality as an Invitation to Intimacy and Integration, Journal of

Dharma34(2009):1935.

Mynatty, Hormis, A Comprehensive Vision of Sexuality from a Christian Perspective,

Jeevadhara33,no.198:458475.

Parappully,Jose,SDBandMannath,Joe,SDB,ReligiousandPriestlyFormationandEmotional

Health,VidyajyotiJournalofTheologicalReflections73(2009):274293.

Pinto,Lawrence,MSIJ,Editor,Seminar forBishopsofAsia:Caring forPriestsEspecially for

Those with Difficulties, Redemptorist Center, Pattaya, Thailand, 2731 August 2007, FABC

PapersNo.122(HongKong:FABC,2007).

Srampickal,Thomas,ReflectionsonCelibacy,Jeevadhara33,no.198:497509.

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Reflections From Asia Tagle