[Philippines: the islands of evil] Altar of Secrets Sex, Politics, and Money in the Philippine Catholic Church #9/93

REJECTED BY THE VATICAN

In May 2012, the CBCP was supposed to finally adopt the guideline as a binding protocol for all the dioceses. The guideline was submitted to the Vatican for its review and approval. Rome rejected the proposed protocol because of the one-child quota system, Cruz said. He had the last laugh.

It was a slap on the faces of Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, Antonio Cardinal Tagle, and Bishop Pablo David, who drafted the guideline.

As such, the guideline remains a guideline, without the force of law and not binding to the CBCP members. Bishops may or may not follow the guideline and institute their own procedure according to their desire. Without the Vatican imprimatur, the guideline is now just a piece of paper. (The guideline has been removed from the official CBCP website as of this writing.)²⁵

WHAT NOW?

It is back to square one and it is up to the individual bishops whether to follow the rejected CBCP guideline in the meantime, or tweak it on a case-to-case basis. To the closet fathers, it is a welcome respite, especially if they are under the supervision of a forgiving bishop.

But Cruz is not about to give up. Five years ago, he set up the National Tribunal of Appeal which deals with errant priests. It is a quasi-office in the CBCP since it was not sanctioned by the collegial body of bishops or by Rome. But it acts as a repository of complaints and cases involving priests violating their vow of continence and celibacy.

Cruz explains that bishops who are unsure on how to handle sexual misconduct cases refer theirs to his office. With administrative and financial matters already occupying their time, it helps the bishops address an internal matter that can put a strain on the bishop-priest relationship. Already retired, Cruz said he was more than willing to help. “This is gratis. I do not get any payment for this,” he said.²⁶

At any given time, Cruz handles 50 cases of clerics who are in conflict with their vows “or those living scandalous lives.” A case referred to him by a bishop may take six months of investigation. He interviews at least seven to 10 people for each case.

His findings are then forwarded to the bishop for proper action. “Mine is only recommendatory,” he said. His report also contains suggested sanctions against the errant priest, if there is evidence that he was living a double life.

For those who have concubines or children, he recommends automatic removal from the priesthood or the priest may opt to apply for dispensation. Dispensation is the process where a priest is released from the duties and responsibilities connected to his clerical state, such as saying Mass or conferring sacraments.²⁷Although the priest loses his clerical state, he is not a layman in the strict sense, since his indelible character as a priest remains with him forever.