Cardinal Sérgio da Rocha

Photo: Archdiocese of São Salvador da Bahia

Metropolitan Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia, Brazil

Dioceses/Religious Orders: Diocese of São Carlos, Archdiocese of Fortaleza, Archdiocese of Teresina, Archdiocese of Brasília, Archdiocese of São Salvador da Bahia

Without informing Catholics in his archdiocese, in 2016, da Rocha assigned an accused priest, Fr. Wilson José Santos Pereira, to be the spiritual director of O Encontro Pastoreio Jovem (EPJ), a youth-focused ministry in Asa Sul, Brasília.

The former altar boy who reported allegations against Fr. Wilson to the church that he said “turned against him,” stated in 2010 that he reported his abuse seeking “liberation,” but that it resulted in the greatest “torment” of his life. The victim claimed the Archdiocese of Brasília never investigated the case, expelling him from the Catholic youth group he belonged to. According to Folha, the priest was investigated by civil police and charged by the public prosecutor’s office, however the charges were eventually dismissed due to an amendment to the penal code that lowered the victim’s actionable age from 17 to under 14. According to a report by Diaro de Pernambuco, the investigating police offer had been given a CD with a recording of the priest apologizing and begging the victim to forgive him and forget what he had done to him.

In the wake of Pope Francis’ 2019 abuse summit, the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) announced they were reaffirming their “unconditional commitment to zero tolerance for cases of sexual abuse against minors” with a new document called “Pastoral Care for Victims of Sexual Abuse,” signed by da Rocha. However, Wilson is still listed on the Archdiocese of Brasília’s list of clergy, and there is no indication that he has ever been formally investigated by the church.