In the last twenty years, the Catholic Church has undergone a slow and painful process of recognition, awareness, and reform concerning sexual abuse perpetrated by members of the clergy. An inevitable, necessary, and irreversible step. But one question—too often silenced for fear of appearing complacent or in denial—resurfaces today with urgency to challenge the ecclesial conscience: what happens when a priest is falsely accused? Who defends his good name, his vocation, his freedom?
A document that breaks the silence
On June 25, 2025, the Association of United States Catholic Priests (AUSCP) published a document entitled “Moving Toward Restoring Justice for Priests,” addressed to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It is not a corporate defense nor a form of covert denialism: it is rather a balanced reflection on the right of priests to a defense, often trampled by management practices of accusations that violate both canon law and common sense.
The document exposes a troubling reality: between 80% and 90% of the accusations received each year are found to be unfounded or unverifiable. Yet, many priests are suspended, exposed to public disgrace, stripped of their ministry and reputation simply for having been named in an accusation—without evidence, without investigations, and often without any real chance to defend themselves.
The right to a good reputation is not a privilege
The Church has incorporated into canon law (updated in 2021) several fundamental principles of justice:
– the presumption of innocence (can. 1321)
– the obligation of bishops to initiate serious and non-arbitrary investigations (can. 1341)
– the requirement of defined timeframes to conclude trials (can. 1362)
– the retroactive application of norms favorable to the accused (can. 1313)
– the right to a good reputation (can. 220)
And yet, in practice, it is not uncommon for the names of the accused to be published even before any true investigation is launched—in violation of papal magisterium itself, which explicitly demands to avoid such premature and potentially unjust exposure. In Italy, this is also perpetrated by certain “victims’ associations” that act out of revenge rather than justice, maintaining websites where names and surnames of priests are published, even if those priests are later acquitted.
Instrumental accusations: a real scourge
This is not a denial of the immense tragedy experienced by victims. But it is equally true that, today, some accusationsare used as tools of personal revenge, psychological retaliation, or even financial blackmail. It is a minority phenomenon, yes, but no less destructive for that. As the document recalls, the parents of victims have had strength and voice to obtain justice. Priests, often, do not. They cannot file civil lawsuits. They cannot effectively oppose the decisions of bishops. They are left alone, suspended in a gray zone that slowly destroys their lives.
The result? Innocent priests subjected to public shaming, while the perpetrators of false accusations remain unpunished. And the ecclesial community, which should be a teacher of justice, ends up betraying its most faithful sons.
Toward a new ecclesial justice
The AUSCP’s proposal is clear: no public suspension before investigation, no publication of names, no permanent removal without concrete evidence.
Investigations must be timely, professional, preferably entrusted to civil investigators or external experts, and respectful of the dignity of all parties involved. This is not a step back in the fight against abuse. It is, if anything, a step forward toward a mature, adult, credible justice. Because a Church that only defends the victims but condemns the innocent is not a just Church. It is a crippled Church.
In times of transparency and accountability, it is essential to preserve mutual trust between clergy, laity, and hierarchy. This will not happen as long as priests fear that a false accusation may irreparably destroy their lives. Justice is justice only if it applies to everyone: to the victims, of course, but also to the accused. And if the Church cannot hold together these two faces of truth, it will end up losing both.
p.E.A.
Silere non possum