after a shocking report on pedocrime, the Church asks for forgiveness from the victims

The bishops of the Portuguese Catholic Church officially asked for forgiveness on Friday March 3 to the victims of pedocrime. These apologies follow the publication of a damning report for the institution, without however taking the strong measures demanded by progressive circles.

A “public gesture” expressing this request for forgiveness will be organized in Fatima in April. In addition, a memorial will be erected on the occasion of World Youth Days, a major international Catholic event to be held in Lisbon at the beginning of August.

At least 4,815 young victims

The Portuguese bishops had pledged to take “concrete measures” in response to the findings of an independent commission they had appointed at the end of 2021 to shed light on the phenomenon of child crime within the Church.

After collecting more than 500 testimonies in the space of a year, this group of experts established that at least 4,815 minors had been victims of sexual violence in a religious context since 1950. This violence was concealed by the hierarchy of the Church in a way “systemic”they added in a report published on February 13, arousing great emotion in a country where 80% of the population define themselves as Catholic.