In 64 of all 95 dioceses in Mexico , a total of 101 cases of sexual abuse committed by members of the church were reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office since the year 2010 , according to the Mexican Bishops Conference (CEM) .
In presenting the results of the Vatican’s recent meeting for the protection of minors , Rogelio Cabrera López, chairman of the CEM , explained that information surrounding sexual abuse cases was being collected at different dioceses in the country to determine how many cases have been reported and how many have been brought before civil authorities, though he acknowledged the exact number of abuses remains unknown.
“We have started gathering all the necessary information, which we will disclose soon so that the public knows the full extent of the issue. I recently revealed that offenders had been dismissed from the clerical state, now we need to check that all canonical processes were conducted in parallel with civil proceedings. We still do not have complete information on the cases and we will have to investigate to get to the bottom of this. Thus far, we cannot say the total amount of abuses, let us hope it is not some sort of plague,” he emphasized.
The archbishop of Monterrey commented that the Apostolic Nunciature had informed the Mexican Episcopate that 157 priests had been suspended for alleged sexual abuse in the past nine years.
Alfonso Miranda Guardiola, secretary general of the Mexican Episcopate
, commented that an investigation was in place to request information on sexual abuse cases from bishops in order to determine how many cases had been brought before judicial authorities.
“We have 64 dioceses so far, though we still have a lot of information to gather. On the other hand, 101 cases have already been brought before prosecutors,” he stated.
The secretary general explained that, following the meeting for the protection of minors at the Holy See between February 21 and 24 , the Mexican Episcopate designed a strategy to fight the issue.
Some of the measures include psychological tests for seminarians , as well as certifications for priests, bishops, and parishes to prevent sexual abuse against minors.
He added that special committees would be established in each of the country’s dioceses for the protection of minors between 2019 and 2020. Furthermore, protocol guidelines will be constantly updated and disseminated at all levels of the Catholic Church in order to generate safe environments for minors.
At the Pope’s request
Rogelio Cabrera pointed out that Pope Francis had asked them to change their paradigm and always side with the victims , which is why the Mexican Catholic Church has vowed to inform authorities of all cases of sexual abuse, establish precautionary measures, immediately suspend church members involved, and report the facts to the competent authorities.
“ One case should be cause enough for concern. A single case of sexual abuse is a monstruosity and should be treated as such . We will act with honesty to determine and disclose the magnitude of this problem,” he warned.
The CEM chairman emphasized that the Mexican church would continue to gather information on child abuse cases, working in full transparency.
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