Archbishop of Beja says ‘rapists have no place in the priesthood’

Archbishop João Marcos of Beja issued an apology after offering to pardon priests suspected of sexual abuse if they repent, and has now defended that “rapists have no place in the priesthood.”

In a statement published on the Facebook page of the diocesan newspaper Notícias de Beja, seen by the Lusa agency this Sunday, the prelate admitted that he had failed in the statements he made to the SIC last week about sexual abuse in the church. .

“Due to my error in the manner and timing of what I said, I implied that I was underestimating the enormous severity of sexual abuse of minors and that God’s forgiveness allows the abuser to resume their normal life as if nothing had happened,” he stressed.

Emphasizing that “by no means” these are his thoughts on the matter, the Archbishop of Beja said he understands the “disappointment” he has caused by the statements “inside and outside the Church” and “for all” he now asks for forgiveness.

In a statement, João Marcos clarified his thoughts on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, believing that “the abuse of minors is of the utmost gravity” and that “its consequences are devastating.”

“If they are practiced by people dedicated to God, they are even more serious and blasphemous,” he stressed.

The prelate from the Alentejo defended that “there is no place for offenders in the priesthood”, emphasizing that “credible suspicions compel measures to be taken to avoid any danger to minors, including removal from pastoral duties”.

“The investigation must be swift and follow the clear rules laid down by Pope Francis. Interaction with the authorities must be complete, civil and criminal law must be fully respected,” he said.

As for the victims of the alleged violence, he concluded, “they should be given priority” and “their need for support and redress should determine” the Church’s accompaniment.

An independent commission for the study of sexual violence in the Catholic Church corroborated 512 testimonies, extrapolating to at least 4,815 victims. Twenty-five cases were sent to the State Department, which opened 15 investigations, nine of which were closed.

The testimonies relate to cases that took place between 1950 and 2022, that is, for the period covered by the work of the commission.

In a report released in February, the commission warned that data collected from church records on cases of sexual assault “should be understood as the ‘tip of the iceberg'” of the phenomenon.

The commission provided diocesan bishops with lists of alleged rapists, some of which are still active.