D. Jose Ornelas says it was important to “know the reality” of the abuse and “ask for forgiveness.”

A year after the publication of a report on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Portugal, the president of the Episcopal Conference admits that “it was important to know the reality, admit that mistakes were made and ask for forgiveness” from the victims.

José Ornelas, in written statements to the Lusa agency, believes that “the report of the Independent Commission was fundamental because (…) it awakened to the hidden suffering that shook the Church and society due to the brutality of the reports it brought to light.”

For the Bishop of Leiria Fatima, “in the midst of the deep pain that was in the process of clearly addressing these situations of suffering,” it was clear that “the good of the victims is (…) the priority and that step by step ways of acting, listening, repairing can be improved and monitoring.”

On 13 February 2023, the then Independent Commission for the Study of Child Sexual Abuse in the Portuguese Catholic Church published a report on its activities, the results of which, by extrapolation, indicated the lowest number of victims – about 4,815 since 1950. .

“Not just numbers, because just one case would be sad enough, we were motivated by the desire to reach out to the victims of these abuses, trying, as far as possible, to help them heal and overcome their wounds, and also to prevent such situations from happening again,” assures the saint , for which, based on knowledge of reality, “new paths can be taken, seeking to introduce a culture of protection and care for children, young people and vulnerable adults in the ecclesial sphere and to promote dialogue on this topic in society at large.”

José Ornelas warns that “the drama of child sexual abuse affects different sectors of society” and that the Church wants to “contribute and take an active part in eradicating these tragic situations.”

Faced with criticism over a certain lack of action by the church hierarchy regarding possible compensation for victims, the CEP president emphasizes that “compensation for victims does not consist solely of financial compensation.”

The Catholic Church in Portugal guarantees that “all people who are victims of sexual abuse of minors in the context of the Church, who contact the VITA group or the diocesan commissions for the protection of minors, will receive the necessary support for their redress and recovery.” “No one will be deprived of this support,” the bishop emphasizes, adding that “this is already happening, guaranteeing the necessary means, namely access to consultations and treatment.”

“It has been said from the outset that we are not ruling out some form of financial compensation for recovery and the future, but that this cannot be merely legal in nature as in most cases there will be no compelling reason. “We are currently working to have, as soon as possible, criteria and proposals for providing moral compensation financially to victims who request it,” he assures, noting that there is still no set deadline for this.

Answering the question about the level of trust of the Portuguese society in the Church after the report of the commission headed by pediatric psychiatrist Pedro Strecht became known, José Ornelas replied that he did not have data “that would allow us to draw conclusions” about this situation.

“What has always mattered to us, first of all, is specific attention to people who have become victims of violence and their self-confidence (…). If, on the one hand, we can have the idea that the authority of the Catholic Church The influence of the study has had an impact on the Church, on the other hand, we also believe that the path we are following, both in dioceses and in Institutes of Consecrated Life, is the result of a serious commitment on our part to guarantee “zero tolerance” in matters of abuse in our spaces,” responds the President of the Episcopal Conference.

José Ornelas adds that “the various organizations that work in the field of protection of minors and vulnerable adults within the Church in Portugal work closely and have high technical competence, with clarity and transparency”, believing that “this leaves no one indifferent.”

On the other hand, the saint highlights the work of the diocesan commissions for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults, the National Coordination Group and the VITA group, which “have become a driving force for change.”

“These are bodies that within the Church have developed coordinated actions, whether it be the reception, monitoring and recovery of affected people or the training and empowerment of pastoral agents, so that prevention efforts can be effective and we can eradicate abuse of minors in the Church environment,” he adds.

José Ornelas also comments on the actions that the VITA Group – the body created after the termination of the functions of the Independent Commission – is taking with various departments of the Church, focusing on training and raising awareness of possible cases of abuse.

“In addition to welcoming victims, it was also planned that the VITA group could act in the field of prevention and training of church agents. This is extremely important work because the VITA group is temporary. The goal is that, gradually, the permanent structures of the Church already present on the ground take over the action,” explains the Bishop of Leiria Fatima.

The CEP president says he has been following the work being done and that it gives him hope in the area of ​​“support for victims, for example preventing further violations.”