Managua, Nicaragua, Jun 29, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Bishop Bernardo Hombach of Granada, Nicaragua, said in an interview this week with the newspaper “La Prensa” that there is “much hypocrisy” in the way in which the media and society treat cases of sexual abuse by priests.
Although there are few cases of clerical abuse in Nicaragua, Bishop Hombach mentioned well-known cases in other countries, saying the policy of the Church should be “zero tolerance.”
“As a pastor, the bishop always remains responsible (for the accused priest). I think that when he is sure there is something very serious going on, he must remove him,” he said.
Bishop Hombach underscored that both spiritual renewal in one’s vocation as well as friendships with other priests are key to avoiding infidelities in one’s call. “Celibacy and a certain poverty in a priest’s way of life only have meaning if he sees them in the context of his vocation.”