Editorial • October 12 2003

The need to respond to paedophilia cases in the church

The decision by MaltaToday to carry the names of priests accused of abusing children in institutes was not welcomed by some of our readers. We would like to assure them that this newspaper did not take its decision lightly. It was taken with responsibility and in line with what is considered the norm in European press circles.
The illustrations that accompanied the reportage on this matter depicted a very censored version of what actually happened, but they have seemingly appeared to offend a few.
Last Friday a daily newspaper, which for decades served as a loyal servant to Queen and country and preferred warships on its front page to Maltese news, chose to echo those concerns.
This is the same English language daily that, up until a few years ago, used to refuse images of women in bikinis in adverts.
It is pertinent to point out that when the Prime Minister chose to name a chief justice and a judge in a bribery scandal, no section of the media or commentators therein objected to the naming.
We have no problem stating that, for the time being we will avoid carrying artist’s impression of what happens to innocent children, in the custody of certain priests.
However, the concern pointed out to us: that children could view this newspaper and be scandalised, is ‘farcical.’ Our newspaper with the exception of one kids page, is tailor-made for a mature and discerning readership and any child looking for a Mickey Mouse character would be well advised by their parental guardians to look elsewhere.
The truth about sex abuse is hard to swallow, more so when it concerns individuals in religious orders.
But it has happened and it has not circled simply around masturbating sessions, but real cases of oral and anal sex. And if that sounds horrendous and vulgar then what should it feel for the victims.
Agencies around the world including the conservative Reuters name priests when their abusers pinpoint them.
In Malta the church came out after donkeys years to condemn the actions of the ‘few’ but not without castigating the so-called sensationalism from some segments of the media.
Some more modesty from the church authorities would be appropriate.
Perhaps a pertinent observation is: Would the Church have revealed any cases of sexual abuse from some of its religious members if the media had not done its part?
Today we carry yet another story of sexual abuse in a children’s institute, this time in Sliema. We are willing to go the whole hog and provide our readers with names and details.
The conceptualisation of a ‘response team’ in the Maltese church leaves much to be desired. Its chairman, former Judge Caruana Colombo has proven himself, on more than one occasion, to be a bastion for ‘no change.’ His other chairmanship of the medical council this time when looking at overcharging allegations by members of the medical profession, proved beyond doubt that the Judge is not the man to rock the boat.
Sexual abuse is a crime, and to look at sexual abuse and to contain it and hide it from the public is unacceptable. To form a ‘Response team’ and state that it is up to the individual to take the case to the police is scandalous to say the least.
If every reported crime were to be scrutinised ‘in house’ by corporations, government and now the church we would be facing chaos in our justice system.
Abuses in the Catholic Church have not only been discovered in Malta. They have been uncovered in more liberal societies where sex is not repressed as it is here.
For many years abuses in the church have taken place and been withheld from the public for fear of compounding any form of revulsion towards religious personalities who are naturally looked upon as guardians of the faith and society.
That is not to say that the church has not been useful and helpful to society. It is certainly not to say that there are no priests, nuns and religious orders who are not dedicated, serious and well-meaning. But on many counts, the church has failed to move with the times. It has promoted a convoluted interpretation of social change, illustrating morality from its narrow vision of values.
One great failure is its refusal to open up to the media. And now when the media has moved to uncover the ugliness of paedophilia, our reward is a scolding from the church and a daily newspaper.
At this point in time we call on the authorities to wake up to realities and push the police to intervene actively to discover to what extent paedophilia has spread within the church and its institutions. And they should avoid stalling on the matter simply because the culprits in this case happen to be members of the church.