Fr Jerry Rosario on the clerical sex abuse scandal

KOTA KINABALU – Among other topics discussed by Fr Jerry Rosario SJ at the interview with Catholic Sabah on 8 September 2018,  he admitted that the recent clerical sex abuse in the US Church and the shielding and snuffing out of evidence by the Church leaders have greatly saddened him.

Though grieved by the deplorable state of the Church’s affairs, he sees light in the dark tunnel.  “I pray it is a transitional phase and we would encounter the light at the end of the tunnel.”

He added “I thank God for a certain amount of openness and transparency that is coming into today’s Church.”

He philosophized “In the past, these scandals would have been swept under the carpet.  Today we are living in a modernized world, with full availability of media.  The Church is today beckoned “to own up in order to grow up”.

It is plausible for victims of any sexual harassment or assault to get justice that is due to them, said Fr Jerry.

As I see, continued the lawyer-priest, Pope Francis is doing his best to not only call for ecclesiastical court for internal investigation, but also keeping the Church open to civil external investigation.  This is seen to be a position of readiness to do justice to the victims.

To the ordained and consecrated, priests, seminarians, religious men and women,  Fr Jerry comments “If any clergy or seminarian, or those under formation for vowed life, find difficulty to live a celibate life, they should be helped to discern their vocation, and should be encouraged to give up their priestly or consecrated life for the sake of a married life, which is, for Catholics, a sacramental life. – Catholic Sabah