Monday, 28th April 2008
Lourdes Home abuse allegations
Dominican Order head says he knows very little
The Master of the Order of Preachers, Fr Carlos Aspiroz Costa. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier.
The head of the Dominican Order says he is unaware of the details about the Lourdes Home in Għajnsielem, where some Sisters have been implicated in the abuse of children in their care.
On his arrival at the Malta International Airport, yesterday, the Master of the Order of Preachers, Fr Carlos Aspiroz Costa, said he had only heard "a couple of words" about the case involving the home run by Dominican Sisters.
Earlier this month, a report commissioned by Gozo Bishop Mario Grech to investigate allegations of physical and psychological abuse confirmed cases of "inadmissible behaviour" that should have never taken place at Lourdes Home involving minors.
Asked about the case at the airport, Fr Aspiroz Costa said: "I don't know and I never speak about things I don't know about".
Asked whether he had delved into the case, he said this was his first time here. "How can I speak about Malta if it's the first time I come here?"
Pressed further that, at the end of the day, Lourdes Home formed part of the Dominican Order, Fr Aspiroz Costa said that, although it was part of the family, he did not know everything that happened within the Order. This was the first time he was meeting the brothers in Malta, let alone the sisters.
Fr Aspiroz Costa could not say whether he would be visiting the home in Għajnsielem, adding that he was a guest here and did not know what he would be doing in the next 10 minutes let alone throughout his whole trip, which ends on Thursday.
Fr Aspiroz Costa, who hails from Argentina, is in Malta as part of a series of visits to all the Dominican provinces. The visit will reach its peak on Wednesday during a concelebrated Mass at St Dominic's church, in Valletta.
The 51-year-old was appointed Master of the Order of Preachers in July 2001, the 87th successor of St Dominic of Guzman, the founder of the Order.
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Comments
The Dominican sisters and the Dominican friars are two autonomous congregations. The Dominican sisters are not under Fr Carlos's jurisdiction. They have their own mother general. Thus, to be fair with Fr Carlos, it is not in his competence to answer for such delicate issue. It's the responsibility of the mother general. She is the one who has the jurisdiction on her congregation not Fr Carlos.