Two prominent figures, Cardinal Pietro Parolin of Italy and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, are under scrutiny for their handling of child sexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church. A campaign group, Bishop Accountability, has accused them of withholding critical church records related to abuse cases, making them unsuitable to address this ongoing crisis in the Church.
Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of Bishop Accountability, criticized both cardinals during a press conference near the Vatican. She stated that if Cardinal Parolin were to become pope, the Church would be led by someone who has a history of concealing information on abuse, ultimately preventing transparency. Doyle also emphasized that no church official has obstructed as many abuse-related documents as Parolin, who, since 2013, has been responsible for handling requests regarding accused priests. The group claims he has blocked numerous efforts for justice, particularly in countries like Chile, Britain, and Poland.
One notable example is a four-year investigation in Australia, which revealed the abuse of 4,400 children by 1,100 clergy members. Despite this, the Vatican only produced documents on two priests when requested. In another case, when British authorities sought information on abuse cases involving the English Benedictine Congregation, Cardinal Parolin refused to cooperate, citing the Vatican’s lack of jurisdiction.
Doyle also criticized Cardinal Tagle, formerly the Archbishop of Manila, for failing to take meaningful action against abuse in the Philippines. She pointed out that guidelines for handling sexual abuse cases were never published on the Manila archdiocese’s website, despite being a key responsibility of the Church’s leadership. She questioned how Tagle could lead the global Church when he could not even address the issue in his own country.
In response to the allegations, the Catholic bishops of the Philippines issued a rare statement defending Cardinal Tagle. They clarified that as head of the Roman Curia, Tagle no longer held direct authority over any dioceses in the Philippines, and therefore, any issues of clerical misconduct should be addressed by local bishops, not him.
With the papal election approaching, these allegations have sparked serious concerns about the future leadership of the Catholic Church.
