Portugal’s Catholic Church is currently facing a reckoning with its legacy of child sex abuse and cover-up. A panel of experts recently revealed that at least 4,815 boys and girls had been abused by members of the Portuguese Catholic Church since 1950, most of them aged 10-14. This shocking revelation contradicted the claims made by senior church officials who had previously stated that there were only a handful of abuse cases. In response to the experts’ findings, victims formed Portugal’s first survivor advocacy group to demand compensation.
Pope Francis is set to visit Lisbon next week to participate in World Youth Day, an international Catholic youth rally. While there is no mention of the abuse scandal on the pope’s official agenda, it is expected that he will meet with victims during his visit. The pontiff will also visit the shrine at Fatima, a popular pilgrimage destination in Portugal. However, some victims have criticized the church’s approach, noting the stark contrast between how church officials treat claims of abuse and claims of apparitions, such as those reported by three shepherd children in Fatima in 1917.
Portugal is the latest country to confront the issue of abuse by priests and the subsequent cover-ups by bishops and religious superiors. However, it seems that Portuguese church leaders have not learned from the experiences of their counterparts in the US, Europe, and Latin America who have faced similar crises. Since the release of the report, the Portuguese hierarchy has been inconsistent in its response, flip-flopping over the issue of reparations for victims and failing to suspend active members of the clergy named in the report.
Anne Barrett Doyle of BishopAccountability.org, a US organization that documents abuse in the Catholic Church, criticized the bishops’ approach, stating that their plan to restore trust backfired. She described it as a “disastrous miscalculation” that the independent commission would uncover such a high number of victims and accused priests still in ministry. The church initially argued that reparations should be determined by the courts, but later softened its position and promised to provide help for victims.
The controversy surrounding the church’s response has led to the creation of the Silenced Heart Association, a victim advocacy group that aims to support victims in obtaining reparations, as well as providing psychological support and legal aid. Antonio Grosso, one of the abuse victims, co-founded the group, driven by the church’s contemptuous reaction to the victims’ suffering and their attempts to cover up the truth. Grosso would like to see Pope Francis address the issue during his visit to Portugal.
The Catholic Church in Portugal has issued apologies for the abuse and is working with victims’ support groups to address the issue. It is also implementing procedures and training staff to prevent and identify abuse. However, this issue extends far beyond Portugal, with similar cases and responses being seen in countries like the US, Australia, and South America.
As the country grapples with the extent of abuse within its Catholic Church, Pope Francis’ visit will undoubtedly bring the issue to the forefront of public attention, forcing the church to confront its dark history and hopefully bring about meaningful change and justice for the victims.