CBCP sad over ‘sex’ report

"Very, very sad report."

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) expressed sadness yesterday over reports that the Vatican has discussed at top levels a sex scandal involving priests and nuns.

"The whole Church — priests, bishops, pope, lay people — have to face this problem together," said CBCP president Archbishop Orlando Quevedo in a press briefing. "We say sorry...(we) express great sorrow."

The Associated Press said the Vatican on Tuesday denied a report by the National Catholic Reporter that says sexual abuse of nuns by priests, especially in AIDS-ravaged Africa, is a serious problem.

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls admitted there were isolated cases of priests sexually molesting nuns, but said the problem is "restricted to a limited geographic area." – Sandy Araneta