Pope Francis Condemns Portugal’s Clergy Sexual Abuse Scandal and Engages with Victims

Pope Francis, on Wednesday, held a meeting with survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated by the clergy in Portugal and strongly criticized the nation’s Catholic establishment for their handling of the prolonged scandal. He expressed his concern about the significant damage this has caused to the Catholic Church, resulting in a decrease in the faithful followers.

The Pontiff engaged with the crisis engulfing the Portuguese church on the inaugural day of his five-day visit to Lisbon. His visit coincides with the World Youth Day festival hosted by the Catholic Church and takes place during a sensitive period for the Portuguese church. Earlier in February, an expert panel employed by Portugal’s bishops revealed that potentially 4,815 boys and girls have been abused by priests and other church personnel since 1950.

The Vatican reported that Pope Francis had an extensive, over an hour-long meeting with 13 victims at the Vatican Embassy, where the Pope was in a state of “intense listening”. The victims were accompanied by church staff responsible for child protection initiatives.

The meeting, which was anticipated as Pope Francis has met with survivors during prior foreign trips, was intended to aid the Portuguese church hierarchy and followers in acknowledging the church’s history of abuse and concealment. Several European countries have undergone similar reckonings.

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However, the Portuguese bishops’ response to the findings of the expert report, in some ways, worsened the situation. Prior to the report, Portuguese church authorities claimed there were minimal cases of child sexual abuse. After the report was released, bishops initially resisted the removal of identified abusers from their posts and declared they would only compensate victims if legally compelled.

The meeting with the victims occurred after Francis conducted a vigil service for Portuguese clergy and nuns at the capital’s well-known Jeronimos Monastery. This was the same location where, following the release of the expert report in February, hundreds had assembled in solidarity with the victims of sexual abuse.

Speaking in his native Spanish, Pope Francis acknowledged that many clergy members and nuns in countries with once vibrant Catholic parishes are disheartened as people are increasingly disconnected from their faith.

His comments indicated that this is often exacerbated by the disappointment and anger some people harbor towards the church. This is sometimes due to the poor conduct of its members and the scandals that have tarnished the church’s reputation, necessitating continuous and humble purification, beginning with hearing and acknowledging the painful cries of the victims.

Bishop Jose Ornelas, leader of the Portuguese Bishops’ Conference, pledged to Pope Francis that they would prioritize “the protection of children’s welfare and efforts to shield them from all forms of abuse.”

Critics have berated church officials for their slow response, but the bishops’ conference later indicated that the pope’s meeting with abuse survivors was a testament to “the path of reconciliation that the Portuguese church has been following in this area.”

Portugal’s bishops are devoted to “prioritizing the victims” and “collaborating” with victims on compensation and their recovery, a statement from the conference affirmed.

In March, the Portuguese Catholic Church promised to erect a memorial for victims during World Youth Day, but the plan was scrapped a few weeks later.

In response, advocates for the victims initiated a campaign called “This is our memorial”. A few hours before the pope’s arrival, they erected a billboard in central Lisbon displaying “4,800+ Children Abused by the Catholic Church in Portugal.” The organizers, having run a successful crowdfunding campaign, have the funds to install more billboards across the city, though none will be located along the Pope’s planned visit routes.

Public reaction to Pope Francis’ statements on abuse was mixed. Some pilgrims outside the Jeronimos Monastery voiced their belief that the World Youth Day gathering was not an appropriate occasion to address the issue.

Giovanni, a 47-year-old Italian pilgrim, pointed out that attendees from around the globe “abhor bad things. We surely desire that whatever is wrong will be halted and eliminated.”

He added that the Pope had sought forgiveness for the church’s history of child sex abuse, indicating his commitment to resolving this issue.

Francis arrived in Lisbon to participate in his fourth World Youth Day, a lively Catholic event launched by St. John Paul II in the 1980s to rekindle the faith of the younger generation. The Lisbon events are expected to be attended by over a million young individuals from around the world and will continue until Sunday.

En route to Portugal, the Pope expressed his desire to continue encouraging young people to “make a mess” — referencing his now well-known call during his first World Youth Day as pontiff, in Rio de Janeiro in 2013. This call for young individuals to incite change in their parishes has come to symbolize the Pope’s own revolutionary reforms that have stirred up the larger Catholic Church.

Francis’ initial stop in Portugal was the Belem National Palace, the official presidential residence located west of Lisbon, from where Portugal’s maritime explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries departed. Addressing Portuguese governmental officials and diplomatic corps at a nearby conference center, the Pope drew on Portugal’s maritime history, its position in Europe, and its welcoming nature.

Suggesting that we are amidst storms in the ocean of history, he expressed the need for bold peace initiatives. He voiced his hope that World Youth Day would stimulate a universal openness for the ‘Old Continent’.

Referring to Russia’s war in Ukraine, global warming, and Europe’s aging population, he urged young people to assume responsibility for building a better future.

Francis envisioned a Europe, the heart of the West, using its enormous talents to resolve conflicts and ignite hope.

Big Big News religious coverage is supported through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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More about Clergy Sex Abuse in Portugal

• Clergy Sexual Abuse Scandals in the Catholic Church
• The Response of the Catholic Church to Sexual Abuse Cases
• World Youth Day 2023
• Pope Francis’s Past Statements on Clergy Sexual Abuse