Church protocol on sexual abuses finally out today?

The Philippine Catholic episcopacy (CBCP) wraps up its July assembly today with the expected issuance of the final draft of the protocol on sexual conduct for members of the clergy.

The sexual protocol, now in its fourth revision, will primarily tackle the issue of priest-fathers, homosexuality and pedophilia among members of the clergy after its first introduction to CBCP membership in July 2002 and last January.

If finally completed, the sexual protocol will be sent to the Vatican for review and approval which may take up to five months.

The Catholic episcopacy had elected Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla as its new president with Iloilo Archbishop Angel Lagdameo as CBCP vice president in elections held at a retreat house in Tagaytay City Saturday. Monsignor Hernando Coronel was re-elected CBCP secretary-general.

Coronel earlier said "recent events have prompted the CBCP to create a (sexual) protocol."

Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales of the Archdiocese of Lipa, Batangas and chairman of the CBCP’s Committee on the Clergy formulating the guidelines, had told The STAR that the protocol "extensively" tackles four main issues – helping the victim, healing the community, assessment of the damage and how to help the culprit (priest).

"The guidelines address the curative and punitive aspect of each case," Rosales said.

But while the guidelines are being patterned before the similar rules of procedure recently drafted by the American clergy, Rosales said the CBCP would take the Filipino’s conservative culture into consideration.

"We are gathering comments from other bishops, professors and sociologists to help us draft our own system," Rosales said.

Calls for the drafting of sexual guidelines came following the recent scandals that rocked the American Catholic Church.