Bishop Warns Of Priest Sex Abuse Cases In Asia

ROME (AP) — A top Asian church official has told a Vatican-backed conference on priestly sex abuse that a culture of silence prevalent on the continent has kept many victims from coming forward, as concerns rise that Asia may be the next ground zero in the abuse scandal.

The archbishop of Manila, Philippines, Luis Antonio Tagle, said a widespread deference to the church in places like the Philippines may also have kept a lid on reports. He said more and more people have come forward in the past five years, but that reports of priests keeping mistresses still far outpace reports of pedophiles.

Tagle on Thursday addressed the conference, which is aimed at helping bishops and religious superiors craft guidelines on how to care for victims and keep abusers out of the priesthood.