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The Episcopal Conference rejects the general opening of the archives of the dioceses and encourages participation in the demonstration against abortion on Sunday in Madrid
The way the spanish bishops face sexual abuse has experienced some change throughout the last few months. The prelates have commissioned their own audit of these alleged crimes. They have also announced their purpose of amendment. But there are things that remain: they continue to reject the independent commission about this phenomenon that has commissioned the Congress of Deputies, in line with the efforts already carried out in other countries.
Two days after the ombudsman, Angel Gabilondo, who will be in charge of directing this initiative, criticize the bishops for their refusal to form part of the new body, the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE) has insisted on its attacks, again avoiding clarifying how and in what cases will collaborate with the commission.
“It does not seem very correct to us that only the gaze has been focused on the abuses of the Church, when the majority of the cases occur in other areas. Being such a serious social problem, that an institution as important as Congress requests that it only be the Church It did not seem appropriate to us. We will not be present in something with which we have reservations & rdquor ;, said this Thursday the secretary general and spokesman for the EEC, Luis Arguello.
Limits”
Last Monday, during his appearance in Congress to present the bases on which the commission will work (it will have 20 members and within at least one year it will deliver a report with the cases, ways of reparation and proposals for preventive measures), Gabilondo reproached the bishops for their attitude before the commission. “After various conversations, the Church rejected taking part, pointing out that this does not mean that it would always stop collaborating. within the law, an expression that being unnecessary seems to indicate boundaries in that collaboration & rdquor ;, explained the ombudsman, before emphasizing that he continued “to the wait of the terms of that collaboration & rdquor ;.
Argüello avoided clarifying anything this Friday. “Depending on what they are going to do and what is asked of us, we will do it & rdquor ;, said the spokesman for the bishops, also rejecting the generalized opening of the diocese archives, that are protected by the Concordat between Spain and the Vatican. About a month ago, on the other hand, the Portuguese Church did say that it would allow access to these documents.
“With the files, a media expectation, as if it were some story medieval Movie, with secret, hidden books”, explained Argüello, after clarifying that, according to his own data and those of other institutions, the 80% of cases of which there is knowledge “are prior to the 80s & rdquor ;. That is, “they are prescribed from the criminal point of view & rdquor; and “many of the defendants have died & rdquor ;.
“We are not ready for a widespread opening of the files. No institution would do that. But we are willing that before a specific request, about specific people, the ecclesial history can be made available & rdquor ;, he continued.
Protest against the new law
The secretary general and spokesman for the bishops, positions that he will stop holding next November, also made clear his support for the demonstration against the new abortion law that will take place next Sunday in Madrid, called by several ultraconservative Associations, such as Make yourself Heard and Right to Live.
“We encourage all Catholics to promote the defense of life, denouncing legislative projects who attempt against it and confuse injustice with right. We thus encourage, with all the channels that a democratic society allows, to mobilize for life and to search creatively for new ways to establish this necessary culture of care that promotes and protects it & rdquor ;, the EEC said in a statement the day before.
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“We value going out to the street, but the challenge is much greater, ask for a cultural alternative & rdquor ;, said Argüello this Friday. Even so, the bishop concluded, he does not contemplate that “many & rdquor; bishops, since that day “they have convocations in their own dioceses & rdquor ;.