Vatican dismisses Borongan priest: Church's move against pedophilia and sexual abuse of minors
BY ALYSSA MARIE BAUTISTA | NOVEMBER 13, 2023
Photo: The Associated Press
Pope Francis addresses abuse issues surrounding the Catholic Church | via Alessandra Tarantino
With the third largest Catholic population in the world, Filipinos adhere to many values and norms that uphold the religion's practice. A huge part of the country's culture is built through the influence of their devotion; hence, matters concerning religion inevitably become national concerns.
Recently, Pope Francis defrocked Eastern Samar priest, Father Pio Aclon, for sexual abuse allegations, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) announced Sunday, September 17.
While information did not disclose specific details about the case, CBCP News confirmed that Aclon was engaged in the sexual abuse of minors.
The Diocese of Borongan, on the same day, issued the Informationis Causa on Aclon’s removal from the clergy signed by Chancellor Fr. James Abella stated:
“Notice is hereby given that the Holy Father Pope Francis has dismissed from the clerical state PIO CULTURA ACLON of the Diocese of Borongan. He is, therefore, no longer a cleric and cannot exercise priestly ministry in the Church.”
Laicization and due process
When a priest is laicized, he is removed from his rights to priestly functions and is usually of a permanent status.
“The priest underwent due process, and Aclon was given the opportunity to defend himself against the allegations," Abella further explained.
However, Aclon denies that he was not informed of the notice, and only knew about his defrocking through a now-deleted Facebook post instead of formally receiving the order.
Aclon argues that this act violated his canonical and civil rights. He also looks into the possibility of the case being associated with “politics in the Church,” as Aclon has been a devotee of the controversial Mary the Mediatrix of All Grace that the Vatican refused to recognize, saying it has “no supernatural character or origin.”
His legal counsel, former Sandiganbayan Justice Harriet Demetriou, also asked the media to show a copy of the proof of the priest’s expulsion. This was seconded by Alcon’s lawyer, Delyen Madura, who issued a legal request demanding the Vatican letter from the diocese.
Sexual Abuse and the Philippine Catholic Church
In the past 5 years alone, there has been an alarming increase in reports of child abuse within the Catholic Church worldwide, according to a documented list of Catholic Sex Abuse by Country compiled from various news sources. This shows how this has become a crisis for the institution.
The head of the Catholic Church’s National Tribunal of Appeals, retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz, says he is still receiving more complaints including allegations of pedophilia involving priests.
An example is a similar case in 2019, where a priest in Negros Occidental allegedly molested a 4-year-old. In 2022, a priest was also arrested in Tuguegarao City for sexually abusing a 16-year-old; while another priest in Iloilo was arrested for raping a 17-year-old choir girl in the same year.
Some alleged victims report being pressured into not filing charges and were offered money in exchange for their silence.
On sexual abuse issues
Although the Philippines is hailed as Asia’s largest Catholic-majority country, it may only scratch the surface in terms of reported cases as many incidents remain unpublicized.
Unfortunately, these alleged abuses by Philippine priests have been documented to be ongoing for more than a generation; however, only a good few reach court trials and the clerks could still be unpunished despite admitting their crimes. The blame all points to a lone institutional reason: legal systems not built to handle abuse cases.
How the Vatican deals with these scandals reflects their acknowledgment that the church indeed moves slowly in handling these circumstances. In response to this issue, Pope Francis assured the public that the church must have a "zero tolerance" policy for clergy members who abuse children sexually.
The Pope has repeatedly asked for forgiveness over these crimes and vowed justice for the victims by organizing a summit on the matter while also implementing reforms against any attempts of cover-ups.
On a similar note, the CBCP also ensured to vow for transparency and accountability in handling sexual abuse cases involving the clergy, establishing an office dedicated to protecting minors from potential sexual misconduct by members of the church.
