The Archdiocese of Madrid, one of the most important and symbolic bishoprics in Spain, led by Cardinal Carlos Osoro, Vice President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), has firmly shown its position on the pederasty scandal that is currently plaguing the church hierarchy. A 4.17-minute video published this Monday by Repara, the archbishop’s office dedicated to the attention of victims, maintains: “That there are no complaints does not mean that there are no cases. Cases of the past are cases of the present. With this broadcast, Osoro and his diocese mark a speech that reveals a division in the Spanish Church on how to deal with the problem: the block that refuses to review its past and the one that pursues an active investigation that helps to know the truth and repair the victims.
The video adds: “To those who maintain that the denunciation harms the Church, Repara reminds them that, in reality, the denunciations of possible abuses help to confront and prevent the occurrence of this type of situation. What really harms him is the silencing.”
The content of the video dismantles ten “false beliefs about abuse” committed by clerics and the consequences that these cause, such as distorting the truth or the lack of an adequate response. Some of these “beliefs” have been part of the speeches of many Spanish bishops, including politicians, who criticize the possible creation of a parliamentary commission and the non-law proposal for the Ombudsman to pilot a team of experts to prepare a report on these events.
The publication of this video comes two months after the Spanish Church began an investigation following the report on pederasty, with 251 unpublished cases, which this newspaper delivered to the Pope and the president of the Episcopal Conference. In recent weeks, only a few prelates —such as those of Santiago de Compostela, Burgos or Zamora— have been in favor of the creation of parliamentary or independent commissions to investigate what happened. But, so far, none have been as forthright as Osoro.
Investigate even if the accused is deceased
Among the “beliefs” that the bishopric demolishes are these: “Currently there are no cases of abuse in the Church”; “most of the complaints are false”; the percentage of cases in the Church “is minimal” and “is not a particularly significant phenomenon”; “it makes no sense to talk about abuses committed many years ago”; “children exaggerate” and “provoke the adult”. Against them, these are some of the lines that the Repara service office marks:
- It is necessary to report possible cases of abuse. “That there are no complaints does not mean that there are no cases. Furthermore, past cases are present cases. Especially when the victim’s wound is still open and even though the abuser has died.”
- The victims are the big losers. “The majority [de denuncias] they are founded. Usually there are no false claims, but difficult to prove. Whoever declares himself a victim of abuse and denounces has little to gain and much to lose.
- A single case of abuse is already too many. “The abuses occur mostly within the family, but not exclusively. When they occur in the Church it is even more serious and more scandalous. Because it contrasts with moral authority and its ethical credibility. If a single case of abuse is discovered in the Church, it already represents a true monstrosity in itself.”
- The pain of the victims does not prescribe. “The passage of time does not heal wounds. Pain does not prescribe. There are victims who dare to name what they have suffered 30 or 40 years later”.
- Not believing the victims implies double pain. “Rarely [los afectados] stories related to their intimacy and having suffered abuse are invented. They cannot fantasize details of sexual activity the knowledge of which is totally inappropriate for their age. Seductive behaviors for sexual purposes cannot be unloaded on the child or speak of consent.
Economic reparation, essential for a recovery
The Madrid archbishopric is one of the exceptions in the general policy of opacity of the Spanish dioceses: it annually makes public the cases of abuse it receives, and investigates them. Last month it reported that in 2021 it attended to a dozen victims of sexual assault by members of the Church, five of them were minors when the events occurred. Madrid is also one of the 12 dioceses, of the 31 involved in the dossier, that has asked EL PAÍS for the contact of the abuse denouncers to make themselves available to them. The Repara office considers emotional and economic reparation “essential” for those affected to recover. He insists that “its doors are open to any victim”, through the mail [email protected] or by telephone 618304666.
Repara details that it has psychologically assisted the 72 affected and 31 relatives. “All these people were offered more than 700 free sessions of psychological care and listening, compared to 400 in 2020. Individual therapy was also joined by mutual help groups. And the demand for canonical and legal advice also grew,” he notes. The office also therapeutically accompanied five aggressors. It has also launched training courses on the prevention of abuse in the pastoral and educational fields for about 600 priests and 200 lay people.
If you know of a case of sexual abuse that has not seen the light of day, write to us at [email protected]
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