Arborelius on pedophile suspected priests: "We need to sharpen ourselves"

The two priests came to Sweden in the 21st century after being investigated and credibly assessed by the Catholic Church for sexual abuse of children. But in Sweden they did not know anything about it, says Cardinal Anders Arborelius.

- It is true that they were on a list in the US, but when they came here we had no knowledge of it. Then it turned out that they had behaved extremely inappropriately.

One of the priests, who came from a Catholic order, was suspected of sexual abuse against six children in Indiana. In Sweden, in 2004, he was accused of molesting a woman with a disability at a so-called healing service.

- We had contact with her and asked her to make a police report, but she did not want to. At the same time, we contacted his superior and said that we cannot have him here in the country. And he left shortly after Sweden. Thus, we cannot have such priests who behave in this way, exploiting a vulnerable woman.

SVT: Did you look up what happened? If he continued to work?

- Yes, we heard that he was in Africa, but we assumed that his superiors would make sure that this could not happen again.

SVT: Then did you find out about these kids in the US? When did you find out?

- It was a lot later. And there you see how dangerous it can be, that someone is not stopped.

The other priest worked in Malmö between 2003 and 2004. Nor did the suspicions against him of abuse against a minor in California had the parish in Sweden been informed of.

- No, we had not received any information that he was guilty of anything. But then it turned out that he had mistreated another man. And then we put him in charge of this, and said that under such circumstances you cannot remain in the country. Without you having to go back to your pin and get treatment. Or in any case be monitored.

This was not reported to the police either. According to Arborelius, it was because the man in question did not want the priest to be tried.

SVT: But how do you see that you can still have been part of this problem, which becomes a culture of silence, that priests are moved, that it is silenced?

- Of course, this is one of the big one of how to prevent this. There must be greater opportunity to control what happens when a priest has been in another diocese and behaved in an unworthy way.

SVT: It's a criminal behavior. Not just inappropriate, but criminal behavior?

- Well, yes it is and then you have to make sure you can't do something similar.

SVT: But is it the church's job? Or the task of the police and judicial authorities?

- Yes, of course, it is the task of both to try to prevent this from happening. In principle, we want everything to be reported to the police. If then the victim does not turn to counter-protection. But we need to find better cooperation between the police and the church, also at the international level. There is a risk of being lost in empty nothing if there is no control.

SVT: How do you view your responsibility?

- This particular transition is one such point that we need to further sharpen in order for it to happen.

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