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Mexico's President supports legal action against pedophile priests

Civil organizations and victims, who are pushing for the creation of a Truth Commission to judge those accused of this crime

Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes – Photo: German Espinosa/EL UNIVERSAL
25/02/2019 |13:59Newsroom |
Redacción El Universal
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President López Obrador

supports possible trials against priests or leaders of the Catholic church who are accused of pedophilia , as it has been demanded by civil organizations and victims , who are pushing for the creation of a Truth Commission to judge those accused of this crime.

The President said that he backs Pope Francis ' stance about regret, forgiveness , and the request to punish priests and church leaders who commit crimes .

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“He has been very clear in regards to that, I have a lot of sympathy for Pope Francis , he is a truly Christian Pope ,” he said.

Later that day, President López Obrador met with the members of the National Brotherhood of Evangelical Christian Churches ( Confraternice ) , who will lend its temples, refuges, clinics, and offices to the federal government for its social programs .

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico has asked all the Catholics in the country to help the church and denounce any type of abuse perpetrated against children , in order to avoid impunity and fight priestly pedophilia .

In one of its publications , Desde la Fe , the Catholic church claims that this issue is forcing them to act firmly: “It's a decisive moment to act in union and communion , therefore, we're asking our worshipers for their supporters to denounce these crimes , to say no to impunity , and to prevent abuse at any level.”

Other Catholic leaders have spoken about pedophilia among its ranks.

Alfonso Miranda Guardiola, Secretary General of the Mexican Episcopate

said that: “The abuses represent an issue that hurts and embarrasses us, and it is a situation in which the church is raising its voice to demand justice.”

The Archdioceses , led by Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes , claimed that he will act with determination “We have a duty with the victims . We know that if this battle begins by helping those who have suffered this evil, the results will be better.”

The text also emphasized that the summit organized by the Pope , which ended yesterday, where Catholic leaders discussed pedophilia : “Sets an important precedent to prevent and eradicate this serious scourge.”

The summit to fight p edophilia in the Catholic church held in the Vatican was organized to define a strategy and protocols that should be followed in the case of a sexual abuse accusation, which consists on protecting the victims and also granting the right to defend themselves to those accused.

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