Strong self-criticism of the Argentine Church: "Sexual abuse is also an abuse of conscience and power"

In a clear message within the Church, and in line with the widespread malaise of society regarding the abuse of minors that has been disseminated recently The Argentine Episcopal Conference today opened a day of reflection during which Bishop Oscar Ojea of ​​San Isidro delivered a strong homily to his peers and denounced the fact that "badual abuse is also an abuse. of conscience and always starts from an abuse of power "..

Not only that. The President of the Argentine Bishops' Conference also pointed out to 111 bishops present throughout the country "The abuse of power in the broad sense, as well as the badual abuse mentioned above, has helped to create an attitude of anger and anger among many faithful".

Strictly speaking, qualified sources of the Church held before Infobae the message of Ojea was previously agreed with Pope Francis. In fact, Ojea has just met in Panama with the pontiff at the meeting of presidents of episcopates around the world. And in May, all the prelates who are part of the Argentine Bishops' Conference will visit the Vatican for a visit. ad limina with Francisco and prepare to commemorate the beatification of the Bishop of La Rioja, Bishop Angelelli, as well as other martyrs of Rioja killed during the last military dictatorship.

At the opening mbad of the Episcopal Conference that Ojea concelebrated with Monsignor Marcelo ColomboArchbishop of Mendoza and Monsignor Mario PoliArchbishop of Buenos Aires and Cardinal Primate of Argentina, the President of the Episcopal Conference stressed that "the whole Church is determined to walk on a path of purification. The meeting on the protection of minors in the Church has put us before the sin and drama of abuse. Sexual abuse is also an abuse of conscience and always starts with an abuse of power, "he said.

At the same time, Ojea repeated a few words that the pope had recently pronounced at the Vatican stating: "You can not understand the phenomenon of badual abuse of minors without taking into account the power, because these abuses are always the consequence of Abuse of power, taking advantage of an inferior position of defenseless abuse that allows the manipulation of one's conscience and one's physical and psychological fragility ".

In the same line of strong self-criticism of the Church, Bishop Ojea urged the country's bishops to do not hide "nowhere near" a complaint that deserves an investigation to protect minors and vulnerable adults. "It is important, essential and urgent, but it is not enough, we are called to go further," he said.

Thus, the President of the Episcopal Conference declared that at the beginning of Lent "It is necessary to carry out a thorough examination of the conscience and to recognize our sins. We all stand together in sin and do an examination of conscience on what we have done wrong. It helps us to live the virtue of humility that ensures inner peace and illuminates the way to make concrete decisions through clear behaviors that certify that we are on the gospel course. "

As they commented at the Episcopal Conference, InfobaeAt the retreat that began today and will run until Thursday in Pilar 's retirement home, the Argentine political reality has not yet been discussed, although it' s not the same. it is not excluded that on Thursday, there is a document of bishops to which they refer the situation of poverty in which lives Argentina sends a conciliatory message calling for dialogue in the context of an election year.

In reiterating his firm condemnation of badual abuse, Ojea insisted during his homily: "Abuse of power in the broad sense, as well as the above-mentioned badual abuse, has contributed to anger and anger among many of the faithful, which, according to the Holy Father, is the expression of the anger of God. "

However, this call for reflection evoked by Ojea was opposed to "a critical attitude towards the Church who – making firewood from the fallen tree – seeks to make it unusable for to fulfill his function of preaching the gospel and thereby responding to his identity and mission, "said. In this way, the Bishop of San Isidro pointed out that "in the face of this, we do not have to victimize ourselves or feel unjust, it is necessary – taking advantage of the time rigorous liturgical that we have yet to live – to seek the will of God who is hiding behind this moment "of much confusion. "

On the other hand, in an open message of interrogation of certain sectors of the ecclesiastical leadership, Ojea urged "to renew at the base of the lifestyles and training structures that have allowed some clerics to sprout a feeling of superiority and dominion over the faithful and that facilitated their lives as if they had not to account for their actions in a situation of real impunity ".

Thus, the President of the Episcopal Conference stressed: "We must be very careful so that these conditions are not created among us, which are clearly favored by a clericalism that likes privileged situations and by the lack of a genuine austerity of life and justice. " transparency. "