VATICAN CITY
Vatican Insider
Despite the clear signals being sent out from Rome, many bishops the world over still haven’t learned the lesson on how to tackle child abuse in the Church
Alessandro Speciale
Vatican City
During the recent symposium at the Pontifical Gregorian University entitled “Towards Healing and Renewal”, monsignor Charles Scicluna – the promoter of justice of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith – was very clear: “We need to be vigilant in choosing candidates for the important role of bishop and also … use the tools that canonical law and tradition give for accountability of bishops.”
Monsignor Scicluna spoke of those bishops who have not tackled – and still aren’t tackling today – cases of child abuse committed by priests, in line with Vatican laws which have become tougher in recent years, and do not follow the guidelines set down or those being finalised by their episcopal conferences: “It is not acceptable that when there are set standards, people do not follow the set standards”, he added.
In particular, during the press conference he held after his speech at the Gregorian University symposium, the archbishop from Malta seemed to refer to canon law 128 from the Code of Canon Law (“Whoever illegitimately inflicts damage upon someone by a juridic act or by any other act placed with malice or negligence is obliged to repair the damage inflicted”); but in more general terms he stressed how bishops, as members of the clergy, are subject to the same punishments and rules that apply to priests. “It’s not a question of changing laws, it’s a question of applying what we have,” said Scicluna.
However, even if clear signals have been sent out from Rome, especially in recent years – and most recently from this very conference organised at the Jesuit university, with a penitential mass to ask forgiveness from victims, presided over by Cardinal Marc Ouellet – today there are still bishops who don’t seem ready to take responsibility and follow the rules.
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