In an interview that is so out of touch with the feelings of the nation that it truly cannot merit much space, the Bishop of Beja, D. João Marques has defended that the way the country is viewing the scandal of child sex abuse in the Church is “not very catholic”. The values of charity and pardon have been overlooked, he believes, suggesting priests suspected of having abused children and teens “if they are repentant, should be pardoned”. The bishop’s interview follows the unedifying press conference held following the Episcopal Conference which had intimated it would come up with concrete measures of dealing with the rot within the institution (but then didn’t).
