Protection of Minors: Archb.
Scicluna pledges to protect minors 'at all costs'
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| The Protection of Minors in the Church Summit at the Vatican (ANSA) |
Arcbhishop Charles Jude Scicluna on Thursday addressed the
3-day Meeting on “The Protection of Minors in the Church” taking place in the
Vatican and pledged to “protect minors at all cost”.
By Linda Bordoni
Archbishop Charles Scicluna's firmly grounded address
to Presidents of Bishops' Conferences and other participants at the Vatican
meeting provided those present with a vast panorama of existing practices,
procedures and tools as well as a pledge to make sure that everything will be
done, in the Church, to avoid the crimes and the wounds caused in the
past.
Scicluna, who delivered the second presentation at the
meeting, entitled “Taking Responsibility for Processing Cases of Sexual Abuse
and for Prevention of Abuse”, is the Archbishop of Malta
and Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Day one of the event has "Responsibility"
as its main theme.
On behalf of the Holy See, Scicluna has been charged with
conducting investigations into sexual abuse by clergy. He is also President of
the canonical team (The College for Recourses) dealing with appeals filed by
clergy accused of abuse.
In his long address on the first day of the meeting,
Archbishop Scicluna highlighted the fact that the way Bishops exercise their
ministry at the service of justice in our communities is one of the fundamental
tests of their stewardship and, indeed, of their fidelity to the Church.
“We have been entrusted with the care of our people.
It is our sacred duty to protect our people and to ensure justice when they
have been abused”, he said.
Scicluna’s address illustrated the main phases of processes
of individual cases of sexual abuse of minors by members of the clergy.
He also gave some practical suggestions, which he said, are
“dictated by prudence, best practice, and the paramount concern for the
safeguarding of the innocence of our children and young people”.
Main phases in process
The Archbishop illustrated policies and tools that are in
place in the Church regarding the “Reporting of Sexual Misconduct”, of
“Investigating Cases of Sexual Misconduct”, of the “Canonical Penal Processes”,
of the “Interface with Civil Jurisdiction”, of “Implementing Canonical
Decisions” and of the “Prevention of Sexual Abuse”.
In his conclusion he quoted from Pope Francis’ Letter to the
People of God (20 August 2018) saying : “It is essential that we, as a Church,
be able to acknowledge and condemn, with sorrow and shame, the atrocities
perpetrated by consecrated persons, clerics, and all those entrusted with the mission
of watching over and caring for those most vulnerable. Let us beg forgiveness
for our own sins and the sins of others. An awareness of sin helps us to
acknowledge the errors, the crimes and the wounds caused in the past and allows
us, in the present, to be more open and committed along a journey of renewed
conversion.”
'We mean business'
“The faith community under our care” Archbishop Scicluna
said, “should know that we mean business. They should come to know
us as friends of their safety and that of their children and youth. We will
engage them with candour and humility. We will protect them at all cost.
We will lay down our lives for the flocks entrusted to us.”
For more information on the meeting on “The Protection of
Minors in the Church”
and for Archbishop Charles Scicluna’s full address www.pbc2019.org
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