The archbishop of Colombia’s third largest city Cali will ask victims of sexual abuse by priests for forgiveness.
Archbishop Darío de Jesus Monsalve will specifically ask forgiveness for sexual abuse by priest William Mazo, who has been convicted for having abused at least four children.
The case began in 2009 when children reported that Mazo had sexually abused them.
In July of of that year, the mother of two children, ages 10 and 12, went to the parish house to pick up her kids after a marching band practice that was held in church facilities.
The victims didn’t appear until a day after the practice and reported the abuse. Two more children later said they were also abused.
In 2012, Mazo was sentenced to 33 years in prison. Despite being declared guilty by the court in 2012, the church has declined to formally ask for forgiveness to the community and the parents.
Now, almost a decade later, the city gets a full apology from the church. Elmer Montaño, the lawyer of the victims, told El Tiempo that the families and victims were not planning on attending.
Monsignor Darío de Jesús Monsalve
In February, the leader of the Catholic Church in Colombia, Cardinal Ruben Salazar, told the Vatican that the church had failed victims of child abuse and told cardinals at a summit in the Vatican on child abuse that “we must recognize the enemy within.”
Colombia cardinal assumes responsibility over widespread sexual abuse in church
The recent apology marks a new approach of the church, which for years tried to cover up and minimize the scope of the problem internationally and has now vowed to take full responsibility.