Card. O’Malley: Church leaders
must listen to the voices of victims of abuse
 |
| Pope Francis and Cardinal Sean O'Malley.(Vatican Media) |
Wrapping up its Plenary Assembly, the Pontifical Commission
for the Protection of Minors has reiterated the primary importance of listening
to survivors of clerical abuse as underscored by Pope Francis.
By Linda Bordoni
The safeguard and the protection of minors from clerical
sexual abuse has become an urgent priority for the Catholic Church that is
increasingly under pressure to give a credible and robust response to victims,
their families, their communities and to all Catholic faithful.
One body that was established to do so is the Pontifical
Commission for the Protection of Minors that was established as an
advisory body to the Pope.
Headed by Cardinal Sean O’Malley, its mandate is
to propose the most opportune initiatives for protecting minors and vulnerable
adults in order that the Church may do everything possible to ensure that
crimes such as those which have occurred are no longer repeated.
It does so by uniting its efforts to those of other
institutions and to bishops’ conferences across the world and producing tools
like guidelines, good-practices and formation courses for Church leadership.
A press
release was published on Sunday at the conclusion of the
Commission’s 9th Plenary Assembly that took
place in the Vatican.
Cardinal O’Malley spoke to Vatican News’ Sergio
Centofanti about the most urgent and significant issues Commission
members focused on during the Assembly.
Asked whether, given the present situation, is the Church
really listening to survivors and learning from them, Cardinal O’Malley said
“recent events in the Church have us all focused on the urgent need for a clear
response on the part of the Church for the sexual abuse of minors”.
The importance of listening to survivors
Of course, he pointed out, one of the Commissions’ tasks and
responsibilities is to listen to survivors: “we are always anxious to have the
testimony of survivors to inform our deliberations and judgment” and as we
often have, he said “we began our meeting listening to two testimonies”.
One priority O’Malley singled out is the work Commission
members do to address newly appointed bishops.
“Every year, he said, we make a real effort to bring the
voices of the survivors to church leadership. It is crucial if people are going
to have an understanding of how important it is for the Church to respond
quickly and correctly any time a situation of abuse may arise”.
O’Malley also pointed out that if the Church is unable to
respond wholeheartedly and make this a priority, all its other activities are
all going to suffer.
Commission’s mandate to promote local responsibility in
safeguarding
The Cardinal also explained how the Commission has been
tireless in taking the message of safeguarding throughout the world.
In some continents, he said, it is a new theme and in some
areas the Church is under-resourced, so the Commission is planning new
conferences in places like Brazil, Colombia and Poland and working on
guidelines and best practices as well as developing auditing instruments to be
used by Bishops Conferences to measure their implementation and compliance.
Cardinal O’Malley commented on the positive feedback the
Commission is receiving regarding education and formation and of a series of
initiatives to set up advisory panels in different continents.
Role of the Commission
Cardinal O’Malley agreed there is much confusion – in the
public - about the Commission’s role and mandate and explained it is not a body
that deals with past cases or particular situations of abuse.
“We are trying to change the future so it will not be a
repeat of the sad history, and we do that making recommendations to the Holy
Father and promoting best practices and guidelines that take into account
safeguarding, prevention, educational programs that address the formation of
leadership so that bishops, priests and religious will be equipped to be able
to respond and put the safeguarding of children and the pastoral care of
victims as their priority” he said.
In English we have a saying, O’Malley confided: “an ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure!”
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