The Roman Catholic Church hierarchy in the Dominican Republic has been mute on several recent cases of priests accused of pedophilia. Usually very outspoken, the head of the Church Cardinal Nicolas Lopez Rodriguez has not commented on the issue.
Yesterday, Tuesday 3 September Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado confirmed that the apostolic nuncio Jozef Wesolowski of Poland had been dismissed from the country on the orders of the Pope after being told about his links to the abuse of minors. Monsignor Nunez Collado is the first high-ranking member of the Roman Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic to comment on the case.
Nunez Collado made his comments when responding to questions from journalist upon the signing of an agreement between the United Nations Development Program and the Chamber of Deputies for student internships at the Chamber of Deputies.
As reported in El Dia, Monsignor Nunez Collado argued that since Wesolowski was the representative of the Holy See in the country, dealing with him was beyond the scope of Dominican authorities because he was here as a diplomat. He said this is shameful for all Catholics.
“I hope, I am sure, that the Holy See not only took the measure of taking him out of the country when the Pope learned that he was on the wrong track, but that he will be punished, because one of the measures that has been taken is an increase in the punishments for pedophiles” said Monsignor Nunez Collado. The rector of the PUCMM said: “A person can have their weaknesses”, he said, but “abuses with minors, with children – that is unpardonable.”
“A case where an ambassador of the Holy See gets to those levels is unheard of,” commented Monsignor Nunez. An Archbishop at the time, Wesolowski was appointed Apostolic Nuncio Emeritus to the Dominican Republic in 2008. Until the Codigo Calle investigative journalism report aired in Santiago last week showing the photo of Wesolowski with Father Wojciech (Alberto Gil), who had previously been accused of pedophilia, in Santiago, the Roman Catholic Church had not reacted. Subsequent journalistic reports indicate that the irregularities of Wesolowski’s behavior were well known, as commented on the Huchi Lora afternoon radio talk show on CDN yesterday, Tuesday 3 September.
Monsignor Nunez said that the Vatican had started an investigation and because of the nature of the situation it should be examined at government level.
When asked who had passed on the information to the Vatican, Monsignor Nunez said it was most likely to have been Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez and said no one was above the law and if someone committed this type of shameful crime then they should pay the consequences.
El Caribe reports that Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez had revealed that the Holy See took the decision to replace the nuncio because he had a conflict with the Archbishop of Puerto Rico, Monsignor Roberto Gonzalez.
He said that the same thing should happen to the Polish priest from Juncalito, Santiago, Alberto Gil, who appears in a photograph that is currently circulating with a group of children in a villa in Juan Dolio together with the nuncio.
Nunez Collado said that Wojciech (Alberto Gil) had been dismissed by the Church and returned to his native Poland, which is why the public prosecution service or the government should seek his extradition. Nunez says that the mechanisms are there through Interpol.
In reference to the case of Father Johnny (priest Jose Manuel Mota de Jesus of Constanza), Monsignor Nunez said that he hopes that justice is done in this case. El Caribe reports today, Wednesday 4 September that the lawyers in the case are considering a recourse against Constanza prosecutor Fernando Quezada and Court of Appeals prosecutor Victor Gonzalez, who is accused of filing away the case.
www.elcaribe.com.do/2013/09/04/agripino-llama-actuar-contra-los-curas-violadores
www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2013/9/3/290757/Nunez-Collado-confirma-que-el-papa-retiro-a-Wesolowski-tras-informe-abuso
www.elcaribe.com.do/2013/09/04/victimas-temen-que-haga-justicia-contra-padre-johnny