In presenting the Church's first report on its fight against sexual abuse, Cardinal O'Malley emphasized the Church is entering a new phase.
Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley ruled out any direct link between priestly celibacy and pedophilia, during a press conference presenting the first report on the state of the fight against abuse in the Catholic Church, published by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, on October 29, 2024. The authors of this document, commissioned by Pope Francis, stressed that the Church was in the process of adopting a new mentality to protect children, after a period of serious failings on the part of the hierarchy.
“We praise your courageous testimony and at the same time we recognize that you are likely tired of empty words,” said Cardinal O’Malley, addressing the victims. “Your suffering and wounds have opened our eyes to the fact that, as a Church, we have failed to care for victims and that we didn't defend you and that we resisted understanding you when you needed us most.”
“Nothing we do will ever be enough to fully repair what has happened but we hope that this report and those that will come [...] will help to ensure the firm commitment that these events never happen again in the Church,” he continued.
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A new period for the Church
Cardinal O’Malley stressed, however, that the Church is entering “a second period” after “a dark period” where “Church leaders tragically failed those we are called to shepherd,” resulting “in a loss of trust, that hinders the Church’s ability to be a witness of Christ’s love or to have a prophetic voice.”
The American cardinal particularly welcomed Pope Francis' choice to make the Commission “a permanent institution of the Church,” giving it a definite weight within the administrative institutions of the Holy See, the Roman Curia, in his 2022 reform.
The annual report, which points the finger at shortcomings in certain regions of the world but also at the Vatican, intends to accompany the “ongoing transition, with recognition that there is still much needing to be done.”
Firewall going down
“The times are changing,” agreed Maud De Boer Buquicchio, a Dutch-Italian jurist who was responsible for the report. Before “there was a firewall between the jurisdictional side and the reaching out to the victims, I think that firewall is gradually disappearing.”
“We, in collaboration with many others, need to significantly improve our data verification, through cross references with external sources,” she emphasized when presenting the report that was compiled over two years. The aim now is to have a report published every year.
“I never thought we would get to this day,” said a visibly moved Juan Carlos Cruz, a survivor of sexual abuse and member of the Commision. A promoter of supporting victims and preventing abuse, he expressed “putting this together was not easy, but it was done with enormous conviction that this is an important first step.”
“I first want to thank Pope Francis for believing survivors, for caring for survivors, for being sincere and not uttering fake words, for being truly, truly invested in this,” he said.
The Commission members were asked to clarify whether they see a link between sexual abuse and priestly celibacy.
“I have never seen any serious studies that have indicated that celibacy and sex abuse is related,” said Cardinal O’Malley, adding that “in society most of the pedophilia takes place within the family.”
“I realize that this debate was raging in Germany but in other parts of the world I think we are satisfied that celibacy is not the cause of pedophilia,” he explained, referring to discussions in the Germany Synodal Way on allowing priests to marry.
“Yes we are aware of the incredible damage that [the abuse] has done to the credibility of the Church and our ability to have a prophetic voice in society and that only underscores the urgency of the Church to reform itself so that we can carry on Christ’s mission and be a sign of his love,” Cardinal O’Malley continued.
The jurist responsible for the report said that those who commit the crime of having sexual relations with children “have a problem that is related to their psychological state of mind” and need to be “treated.”
“There is no excuse for this crime, children should be respected in their integrity, physical and moral, so whether celibate or not it doesn’t matter,” said De Boer Buquicchio, who was the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children from 2014 to 2020.
Former members “frustrated” by slow pace of change
In response to a question by a journalist, Cardinal O'Malley also referred to the resignation in 2017 of one of the commission's members, Marie Collins. The Irishwoman, a victim of sexual abuse by a pedophile priest and spokeswoman for numerous victims, had expressed her frustration at the cultural resistance within the Roman Curia and slowness in progress.
“We understood the reasons [...] all of us have felt that frustration of the slowness of change coming about. But we believe that the change is taking place and we feel as though our obligation is to continue to work for it, even though it is often an uphill climb,” Cardinal O’Malley said, saying that he believes the dicasteries are demonstrating a willingness to work together more effectively.
The president also affirmed that the commission has a good relationship with the Center for Child Protection at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
The president of this body, Father Hans Zollner, a former member of the Commission, had announced publicly his resignation from the Commission in March 2023, criticizing a lack of transparency and structural dysfunctions.
