UNITED STATES
National Catholic Register
JOAN FRAWLEY DESMOND
Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston has had a cardinal’s-eye view — shared by only a very select few — of the key events of the first year of Pope Francis’ papacy.
Cardinal O’Malley has devoted much of his vocation to ministering to Hispanic immigrants and working with the Church in Latin America, and he participated in the March 2013 conclave that elected Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio. Appointed subsequently to the eight-member Council of Cardinals formed to advise the Holy Father, the Boston archbishop has now taken on a more visible role in the global Church, working closely with Pope Francis on Church reforms, and announcing the formation of a new Vatican commission to address pastoral issues related to clergy sexual abuse and the protection of children.
On March 18, Cardinal O’Malley headlined “The Francis Factor,” an event sponsored by the Archdiocese of Baltimore that allowed the cardinal to share the rich and compelling insights about Pope Francis he has garnered during the past year. Before an audience of 3,000 people, Cardinal O’Malley spoke about Pope Francis as a “quintessential Ignatian Jesuit,” who is now sharing the fruits of his long practice of spiritual discernment, anchored in the discipline of the daily examan. …
You have labored to strengthen the Church’s response to the scourge of clergy sexual abuse, and you sent one of your own priests, Father Robert Oliver, to take over as the promoter of justice for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, prosecuting cases that are brought to the Vatican. Are you confident that the Holy See is fully engaged in the effort to implement reforms in churches across the world that will help protect children?
We have tried to help the Holy Father understand [the need for a strong response to clergy sexual abuse]. I know he understands its importance. That is why a commission on child protection is being formed.
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