A pastoral document that Philippine Church leaders say Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle helped craft to address clerical sex abuse was apparently taken down from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website in 2018 because it was deemed “lacking.”

Journalists on Sunday searched for the document —Pastoral Guidelines on Sexual Abuse and Misconduct by the Clergy — after the CBCP on Saturday cited it as proof of Tagle’s early leadership in addressing abuse by members of the clergy.

Tagle is among the few cardinals who, according to foreign and local reports, have a good chance of being chosen as the successor to the recently departed Pope Francis, when the papal conclave opens on 7 May at the Vatican.

A digital backtracking by Daily Tribune found that the pastoral document was last accessible on the CBCP website in May 2018.

A backlink to the original CBCP page provided by the watchdog group BishopAccountability.org returned a security error message: “Your connection is not private.” Another CBCP-affiliated site that once mirrored the document returned a “404” error message.

However, the document remains available via the very watchdog group that criticized Philippine Church leaders for its apparent suppression:

https://www.bishop-accountability.org/Philippines/news/2003_Philippines_Pastoral_Guidelines_on_Sexual_abuses_and_Misconduct_by_Clergy.htm

The 12-page document outlined protocols for handling accusations against clergy, including immediate suspension during investigations, cooperation with civil authorities, and psychological evaluation of the accused. It also called for pastoral care for victims and urges seminaries to screen candidates more rigorously for psychological maturity and sexual integrity.

Inadequate

“Abuse of minors by a cleric is not only a canonical crime but also a grave moral failing,” the document states, echoing the zero-tolerance stance later adopted by the Vatican. It emphasizes the Church’s “duty to seek truth and justice with compassion for both the victim and the accused.”

The document’s removal from the CBCP website reflected a recognition by Church leaders that the guidelines were inadequate and needed revision.

A 30 October 2018 report by The Varsitarian, the official student publication of the University of Santo Tomas, noted: “In the wake of these scandals, members of the clergy in the Philippines admitted that guidelines on the protection of minors set by the CBCP are lacking and that a better pastoral response has to be rolled out.”

In a separate 2018 report, Vatican News confirmed the revision process. Then-CBCP president Archbishop Romulo Valles was quoted as saying: “The present painful situation is a good occasion for us bishops to revisit and review the existing guidelines that we have for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults, and with renewed resolve and commitment to implement them and not cover them up.”

On Friday, BishopAccountability.org warned that neither Tagle nor fellow papal contender Cardinal Pietro Parolin could be relied upon to protect children or ensure transparency in the Church’s handling of clerical abuse.

“The Church in the Philippines, where the affable and politically influential Tagle served as Archbishop of Manila between 2011 and 2019, remains in the ‘dark ages’ on the subject of clerical sex abuse,” said Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of the US-based group.

The group recently released a database showing that 82 priests and church workers with ties to the Philippines have been publicly accused of sexually abusing minors.

Duterte, too

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, now detained in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity, once claimed he was sexually abused by a priest.

“If Cardinal Tagle cannot even get his brother bishops from his home country to publish guidelines, what on earth can we expect him to achieve as pope of a global Church?” Doyle added, apparently referring to the now dead CBCP link.

The CBCP has responded by noting that Tagle has held no diocesan authority since taking on a full-time Vatican role in 2019. But critics argue his moral leadership should have carried weight, particularly in a country where institutional silence and victim stigma remain prevalent.

Michal Gatchalian, a 44-year-old Filipino lawyer, told Agence France-Presse that he was molested by a “serial predator” priest at age 17 and faced threats and harassment after reporting the abuse in 2002. The priest, he said, was only defrocked in the last three years.

“We haven’t seen a proactive effort... to solve this, to prevent this,” Gatchalian said. “Doing nothing is still the same as covering up.”

Irish missionary priest and longtime child rights advocate Shay Cullen echoed the concern. “I don’t think Cardinal Tagle is really committed and dedicated to protecting the children. We need a fighter for the rights of the child,” he said.

While there is no direct evidence linking Tagle to cover-ups, advocates say his record reflects broader institutional inertia.

Tagle also came under scrutiny during his leadership of Caritas Internationalis from 2015 to 2022, when a Vatican audit found management deficiencies and prompted Pope Francis to remove the entire executive team. Activists also questioned how much Tagle knew about the hiring of Belgian priest and convicted child sex offender Luk Delft in the Central African Republic.

“No matter how nice a man becomes pope, I don’t believe the Church is yet ready to turn the page on child sexual abuse. I’m pessimistic,” said Doyle.