The Salesians of St. John Bosco
removed two European members from their duties after it was discovered
one belonged to a pro-pedophilia organization and another made remarks
defending pedophilia.
The Salesian headquarters in Rome said a Dutch priest identified only as
Father "B" and the superior of the Salesians in the Netherlands, Father
Herman Spronck, had both been suspended.
"The Belgium-Holland Province officially announced that Father B no
longer has permission to carry out any pastoral activity and that Father
Spronck has been relieved of his office as delegate," the congregation
said in a May 23 press release.
The Salesian provincial of Belgium-Holland, Father Jos Claes, said that
to the Salesians' "great surprise," Father "B" was a member of a
Dutch-based association that advocates legalizing sexual relations
between an adult and child.
Father Claes said the association is "not compatible with our Salesian
identity" and "we therefore condemn the membership and the opinions of
Father van B."
The province set up a committee to collect information about Father
"B's" actions and statements, Father Claes said, and a committee report
"will be sent to the superiors of the Salesian congregation in Rome."
Father Spronck was dismissed from his position as head of the Salesians
in the Netherlands after RTL radio published a transcript of an
interview with the priest in which he reportedly said sexual relations
between adults and children should be allowed.
The priest is quoted as saying, "We shouldn't consider age so rigidly.
You should never break into the personal space of a child if the child
does not want that, but that has to do with the child himself. There are
also children who themselves indicate that it is okay. Sexual contact
is then also possible."
The provincial of Belgium-Holland said, "We distance ourselves
completely from the comments by Father H. Spronck" and the order
suspended him "from all delegated authority" within the Salesian order.
The order's headquarters offered its apologies and said, "We can
understand that this news has undoubtedly once again seriously wounded
the justified sensitivities of many persons."
It said, "The congregation will take the necessary disciplinary steps in
conformity with the protocol in place since 2002 and with the norms
given by the church in this matter."
The Dutch bishops' conference and the conference of Dutch religious
launched a "broad external and independent inquiry" into cases of
clerical sexual abuse in May 2010 after more than 1,500 people contacted
a victims' assistance hotline and more than 50 formal complaints were
filed in just three months.
The bishops and religious superiors have strongly condemned all forms of
sexual abuse, saying it is contrary to the Gospel and the dignity of
the human person.