Switzerland, Germany, Belgium

Switzerland: “throwing full light on the past”The Swiss bishops say they are “ashamed and dismayed at the cases of sexual abuse within the pastoral institutions” and ask that “the truth on the past should be unearthed”. “We must admit we have underestimated the extent of the phenomenon – reads a statement from the Bishops Conference that has been published on March 31 -. The people in charge of the dioceses and religious orders have made mistakes”, for which “we ask to be forgiven”. The bishops encourage those who have been abused to go to a diocesan advisory centre and lodge a complaint if they want. “What matters to us – they state – is that the truth on the past will be unearthed”. The bishops ask those who committed such abuse to “undertake their responsibilities in front of God and in front of man, by showing up to those in charge”, and they thank those who live “their call in faithfulness”. The release mentions that as early as 2002 the Swiss Bishops Conference had issued “special directives, focussed on the victims’ interests, the prevention of abuse and the ensuing measures against culprits”. “We will firmly enforce these directives, updated in 2009”, ensure the prelates, according to whom “cooperation between the dioceses and the religious orders” should be improved, “even on an international scale”, while “the people in charge of such institutions must be sure” of the integrity of the people who work for them. The issue will be addressed by the June Assembly of the Swiss Bishops Conference.Germany: hotline activatedA toll-free number has been opened on March 30 by the German Bishops Conference to offer advice to the victims of sexual abuse in ecclesiastic organisations. “With this offer, we wish to encourage the victims to come to us, regardless of such cases having lapsed or not”, said mgr. Stephan Ackermann, delegate of the German Bishops Conference for the cases of abuse, during a press conference in Trier. “We want to speak, we want to know what they suffered, and we want to support the victims”, he added. Mgr. Ackermann thanked the victims who found the courage to report the abuse: “In this way, they have substantially contributed to making the Church pay more attention in the future to what happens within our institutions, in our schools, in our youth groups and in the nursery schools. We will do all we can to make such abuse never happen again in any institution of the Catholic Church”. In addition, the prelate made an appeal to “those who have committed such deeds, that they admit their guilt. That’s the only way to open the way to truth and reconciliation”, he concluded.Belgium: “no use weeping or hiding””It’s no use weeping or hiding”: Bishop Johan Bonny of Antwerp doesn’t mince his words in addressing the issue of child abuse. The sex abuse perpetrated by members of the Church must be tackled “in a resolute and clear way, with an overall approach aimed at rebuilding or restoring trust wherever it has been undermined”. In an interview given to a Flemish newspaper in recent days, the bishop insisted: “The Church has underestimated the problem of the sexual abuse of children, even if she is not alone in this field as demonstrated by the many inquiries opened on this painful question. But this mustn’t represent an excuse, since the Church has an ethical vision of man that obliges her to act in defence of those who are most vulnerable and weak. In response to the harm caused to victims and the profound rancour that derives from it, an obligation of reparation exists with the aim of helping victims in the healing process. In penal cases of abuse that are not statute-barred – he adds – the Church asks all those concerned to collaborate in a constructive way with the police and the judicial authorities. Abuse is a crime and must be treated as such, and in response to a crime of this kind canon law provides also for the loss of office or religious state”. “In treating cases of this kind – the bishop concludes – the Church must set an example and that’s why the bishops have established a commission of experts that is at the disposal of victims and their families and plays a useful role in providing counselling both to victims and to those guilty of abuse”. The delegate of the episcopate of Belgium on this commission is Bishop Guy Harpigny of Tournai, who, on 30 March, reaffirmed the Church’s “closeness to and solidarity with the victims” and asked the bishops and religious institutes to take clear measures to bring those who have abused children before the courts, so that they recognize their own sins before God, ask for forgiveness and give reparation for their misdemeanours with appropriate means. The position of the Belgian episcopate – he concluded – is firm and in perfect accord with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith”.