ROME
Crux
September 6, 2018
By Claire Giangravè
Pope Francis’s upcoming trip to the Baltics in late September will focus on youth and encouraging the local Church rather than relations with Russia and the sex abuse scandals that have been circling the Vatican this summer, according to a Lithuanian cleric.
“The government asked that the pope come give a word of encouragement especially for young people but also for the Church so that it might give its contribution,” said Monsignor Visvaldas Kulbokas, counselor at the Vatican embassy to Russia during a press briefing in Rome Sep. 5.
After Francis’s August trip to Ireland, marred by scandals regarding the clerical sex abuse crisis involving high ranking Church members, including the pope himself, the upcoming Sep. 22-26 papal visit to Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia is geared to be an opportunity to bring the pope’s message home to the European peripheries.
The formerly Soviet countries, now part of the European Union, struggle with political imbalance, financial issues and slowing birthrates. Lithuania, the priest said, ranks high for suicide rates, alcoholism and depression with many emigrating to find better opportunities elsewhere.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.