The We Are the Church movement advocates for the preventive removal of suspected abusers

The We the Church movement said this Monday that the preventive suspension of priests suspected of sexually abusing minors is “absolutely fundamental” given that the clergy cannot be above Portuguese civil law.

“There can be no difference between a priest and a coach, just to give an example,” Maria João Sande Lemos, who represents the movement, told Lusa.

The same source recalled that on February 28, the movement sent an open letter to the Portuguese bishops with three specific proposals, listing short-term and medium-term measures.

“We have taken the initiative to write this letter to the Bishops’ Conference proposing changes,” echoed Maria João Lemos, for which bishops who cover up incidents of abuse should be “immediately suspended.”

In a document entitled “Letter to the Bishops of the Portuguese Church on the Changes We All Need to Make”, the movement states that this is a moment of “profound sadness” and “a huge revolt against the abuses being practiced and against their cover-up”.

Therefore, he advocates the immediate establishment of victim support mechanisms, as well as the creation of a new independent commission, similar to the previous one, which will continue to work, continue to receive reports of abuse and investigate cases consisting of people. recognized competence, courageous, honest, leadership qualities and mostly external to the Church, especially capable in the field of social sciences to continue the process.

The movement also proposes that in the short term (up to 60 days) the activities of the diocesan commissions on abuse be refocused exclusively on primary prevention and education, in accordance with a clear mandate and an astute program drawn up by “duly qualified persons.” “and that covering bishops, ‘if they exist’, are suspended from their functions.

Another measure involves the preemptive suspension of “all offenders currently in the service of the Church”, when there is “minimum credible” evidence of abuse and when they are found guilty in the light of Christian morality, regardless of any legal process (…), “transition to the waiting state”.

“The time has come to acknowledge the inexorably grave guilt and, therefore, the time to ask for forgiveness from the victims whose lives have been damaged by action and inaction. This is the time of our great shame and therefore atonement for the great organized sin,” the document says.

Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon Manuel Clemente lifted on Sunday the suspension of alleged priests who abused minors, lacking “proven facts to be contradicted” and a canonical process conducted by the Holy See.