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"La Croix Africa conducted a survey to find out how Pope Francis&rsquo  motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi (You are the light of the world) has been received in Africa and how the African bishops&rsquo  conferences have absorbed its message to tackle sexual abuse in the Church.  Our local culture is sometimes a culture of shame. If there are subjects we are not sure about we do not know how to talk about them  &nbsp Burkinabe Jesuit Father Paul B&eacute r&eacute  a teacher at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome said in June.The 2019 Ratzinger Prize winner analyzed the resistance in Africa to the issue of sexual abuse in the Church. He also felt that the binding nature of Pope Francis&rsquo  motu proprio published in May would be an opportunity for Africa to overcome the cultural barriers to managing sexual abuse.  The instruments that Pope Francis has implemented are binding in order to free us from the obstacles of our culture   he said.The pope&rsquo s text offers no other option for conferences than to tackle the issue of sexual abuse. He requires them to set up sexual abuse reporting centers either at diocesan or national level. In addition all clerics are now required to report sexual abuse of which they are aware.ResistanceBefore and during the summit on sexual abuse convened in Rome by Francis in February many observers had highlighted the resistance of the African Church to the management of sexual abuse.Indeed some African bishops unwisely considered that this question was more relevant in the West more than Africa which had other priorities.  This problem arises less often in Africa than in Europe Australia or the United States   said Archbishop Marcel Utembi of Kisangani and president of the National Bishops&rsquo  Conference of Congo (Cenco) when interviewed by the French weekly Christian Family.Later he tried to explain his remark adding:  The punishments for such acts are so strict that they are likely to prevent their admission. This partly explains why these acts are so rare in our country.  For his part Archbishop Edmond Djitangar of N&rsquo Djamena Chad told Vatican Radio that talking about abuse  in a recurrent way risks making it a widespread phenomenon   and that the methods of approach to solving this problem should take into account the African context.However sexual abuse is not a fantasy and it is a reality in Africa too.The Ivorian Church for example was confronted twice with the issue of sexual abuse between 2018 and 2019.In April 2019 the Ivorian Catholic community was shaken by the death probably by suicide of a 51-year-old priest from the Diocese of Grand-Bassam&nbsp who had been suspended following a claim he sexually abused a child.At the end of 2018 another priest this time in the Archdiocese of Abidjan was referred to the public prosecutor&rsquo s office following another accusation. This one was later being dismissed in court.A changing discourseSince the publication of Vos estis lux mundi however the discourse in Africa on sexual abuse seems to have evolved and moved away from denial.  It is wrong to believe that sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable people only concerns certain countries   acknowledged Bishop Nicod&egrave me Barrigah-Benissan of Atakpam&eacute  north of Lom&eacute  and president of the Episcopal Council for Justice and Peace of Togo.Bishop Ignace Bessi of Katiola in northern Ivory Coast and President of that country&rsquo s Catholic Bishops&rsquo  Conference insisted on the need to favor a language of truth and humility.These  somewhat harsh   measures of Pope Francis are beneficial says Sister Solange Sahon Sahon Sia Director of the Center for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable People at the Catholic Missionary Institute of Abidjan. From now on   it is up to everyone to take responsibility   she said.Reporting officesSince May almost all African bishops&rsquo  conferences have announced plans to open sexual abuse reporting offices by May 2020. The commitment was especially firm in Ivory Coast Burkina Faso and the Central African Republic.Since October Congo has undertaken a series of training sessions for all the coordinators of Catholic schools and intends to allow  a frank dialogue within basic ecclesial communities on the question of sexual abuse.  In this country where the Catholic Church is very powerful supporting structures will be created at the diocesan level. Togo has taken the same option.  Some bishops have even published a list of the people who make up these offices   says Bishop Barrigah-Benissan.On the part of the Association of East African Bishops&rsquo  Conferences &mdash  it includes Malawi Kenya Sudan South Sudan Zambia Tanzania Ethiopia Eritrea Uganda Djibouti and Somalia &mdash  an important milestone was reached on May 29 with the publication of two key texts:  Standards and Guidelines for Child Protection   and the  Facilitators&rsquo  Guide for Child Protection.  However do these declarations and measures mark a certain step forward? Nothing could be less certain.This is underlined by Father Jean Messingue a Cameroonian Jesuit priest a specialist in clinical psychology and a specialist in the field of sexual abuse who believes it is difficult to get a precise idea of what the African Churches  really   think about the measures imposed by the pope.  How will the concrete implementation of these reporting offices be carried out?   asked one skeptical Beninese priest who asked to remain anonymous.  Our dioceses are poor and evangelization is often at the level of basic catechesis. To tell you the truth I don&rsquo t really believe in imported ready-to-think directives.  Bishop Bessi points out another difficulty in implementing the measures as ordered by the Pope.  Reporting is in general not an easy task in Africa and especially in Ivory Coast   he explained.  Culturally this will therefore be a problem since the trend is toward negotiation to preserve harmony.  But for the Ivorian bishop it is up to the Church to  evangelize and purify   an African culture that has difficulty accepting reports of sexual abuse.In addition the physical creation of sexual abuse reporting offices may not be sufficient to create established reporting patterns warned Bishop Bessi.  We need a preventive discourse   he said but one that must  guarantee sensitivity in the reports so that the victims are not exposed to vindictiveness while ensuring that there are no slanderous denunciations.  Inculturated managementOne thing however that everyone seems to agree on is that the management of sexual abuse in the Church must be inculturated.This is because  communicating about sexual abuse is a delicate exercise that requires mastering the codes of the environment   said Bishop Bessi.Father Georges Kalenga deputy secretary general of Congo&rsquo s bishops&rsquo  conference expanded on this theme.  In many societies in DR-Congo sexuality issues are a taboo and cannot be addressed in public   he said.  We must ensure that we respect the community&rsquo s reserve in this regard and look for the appropriate way to get the information across.  The retention of certain customs that promote early marriage also makes this exercise all the more difficult said Father Kalenga.On the side of Catholic laity however sexual abuse is a cause for great concern and embarrassment.  Every time I read about a sexual abuse scandal in the Church I feel hurt and embarrassed   said Rodrigue Yessinou a young Beninese.Justine Bl&eacute dou a lay Ivorian is also concerned about the increase in sexual abuse of minors in Ivory Coast saying   The Church must be intractable on the subject. When it comes to abuse it must set a good example.  "
<https://international.la-croix.com/news/religion/sexual-abuse-the-challenge-facing-the-african-church/11283>