The Plenary Assembly of the Portuguese Bishops’ Conference starts on Monday in Fatima and is expected to set up a body that will replace the Independent Commission for the Study of Sexual Abuse against Children in the Portuguese Catholic Church.

On 3 March, the Portuguese bishops, after meeting to analyse the Independent Commission’s report, announced their willingness to create “a specific group, which will be articulated with the National Coordination Team of the Diocesan Commissions for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults”, which is led by former Attorney General José Souto Moura.

Psychologist Rute Agulhas, a member of the Commission for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults of the Patriarchate of Lisbon, is the candidate for leadership the presidency of the Portuguese Bishops’ Conference (CEP) is proposing to be voted on, the Observador reported.

The Independent Commission, led by child psychiatrist Pedro Strecht, validated 512 of the 564 testimonies received, pointing to at least 4,815 victims.

Twenty-five cases were reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which led to 15 enquiries, of which nine have been closed, while six are still under investigation. These testimonies refer to cases that occurred between 1950 and 2022.

Following these results, some dioceses have removed some priests.

The Plenary Assembly of the Episcopate, which will take place between Monday and Thursday in Fatima, will also be marked by the elections for the organs of the CEP for the next triennium.

Recently, there have been reports that the current president of CEP, José Ornelas, bishop of Leiria-Fatima, who has not yet decided whether he is available to be a candidate for a new mandate.

The attrition caused by three years of mandate marked by the pandemic and by the sexual abuse situation in the Church will be at the base of the eventual non-candidacy of José Ornelas.

If he is not elected for a new mandate, the Independent Commission created under his presidency will remain as is.

Meanwhile, the bishops will celebrate the Eucharist in the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity in Fatima on Thursday on the national day of prayer for the victims of “sexual abuse, of power and conscience in the Church”.

The CEP had already announced this public apology to the victims on 3 March.

Preparation for World Youth Day, scheduled for early August in Lisbon, with the presence of the Pope and some appointments to the various secretariats and episcopal commissions, will also be discussed next week in Fatima.

(João Gomes | Lusa.pt)