“I believe, I hope and I wish that the Spanish Episcopal Conference is not on the threshold of society. The ombudsman, Ángel Gabilondo, requested this Tuesday “specific cooperation” from the Spanish bishops to investigate clerical pederasty, during his intervention at the breakfast of the New Economy Forum, which, interestingly, was not attended by any of the bishops (despite the fact that they are in Madrid this Tuesday participating in the Episcopal Permanent Commission) . Gabilondo, who was tasked by Congress with preparing a detailed report, providing answers, possible solutions and formulas for reparations for victims, reported that already 230 have contacted the office, 29 more than in the report presented a few weeks ago.
The ombudsman did not ignore that “in some sectors of the Church” he did not notice “enthusiasm” for the work of his commission, admitting that “the Episcopal Conference followed his path, and we followed the general courts”. “This is not a commission bent on persecuting the faithful, nor is the church going one way and the commission another,” Gabilondo stressed, stressing that he “intends to directly request specific formulas for (EEC) cooperation.” What does this collaboration consist of? When asked for information on each specific case “and what happens when the files are opened,” he added, knowing that “this is a fundamental problem.” “I know what church-state agreements say on the matter.”
“I talked to the CEE from the very first moment, and I encouraged them to participate in the group, but they always indicated the difficulties of participation and that, in any case, they could cooperate”, explained Gabilondo. This cooperation has not yet crystallized.
“I believe, I hope and I wish that the Spanish Episcopal Conference is not outside of society. I hope that he will cooperate in order to find out the situation that the people are asking us for,” the ombudsman emphasized, saying that it is necessary to listen to the victims and all parties, including the bishops.
“I won’t say a word about the specific non-cooperation of the church, because I haven’t specifically asked for that cooperation yet,” he concluded, explaining that his mission is “a congressional assignment that will end with a report to Congress. “I hope that this leads to legislative or judicial measures, but we are not making a decision,” concluded the Ombudsman. He added that the said report “must establish the facts and responsibilities, find ways to compensate, and take measures to prevent this from happening again.” And if that happens, take action.” If possible (not currently) with the express cooperation of the church.
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Source: El Diario
