The abuses have become a crucial theme of the Pontificate of Francis, and the Vatican is beginning to give way to the historic appointment of the next February, when the Pope will meet in the Holy see to all the presidents of the Episcopal Conferences of the world to address the issue. Four days (between 21 and 24 February) in which they will sit down the bases of new rules for the prevention and, presumably, the investigation and punishment of cases. The Holy see has made public this morning the composition of the organizing committee, integrated by four names of contrasted reputation in the fight against this scourge that eats away at the Church. In addition, it has announced that in the meeting will include the participation of women and victims of abuse by clergy.
The committee of the meeting, christened as The protection of minors in the Church, will be formed by figures little inclined to put hot cloths and openly critical of the role of the majority of bishops ‘ conferences worldwide on this issue. The archbishop of Malta, Charles Scicluna, probably the person with the best reputation in the Vatican in the fight against abuses –ran the investigation against Father Maciel and took the case to the bishops of Chile, who ended up resigning from full – will be one of the main voices that integrate it. We will accompany you to the jesuit Hans Zollner, member of the Pontifical Commission of Guardianship for the Minor and one of the people who best know the world the system of prevention of abuses in the Church. He will be the person of reference in the committee for all queries. The american voice, which is fundamental to this issue, will be represented by the cardinal and archbishop of Chicago, Blase J. Cupich, very active Trbet on the issue. In addition, they will accompany the archbishop of Bombay and president of the Episcopal Conference of India, cardinal Oswald Gracias.
Zollner will be a key figure and the commission has integrated in the last five years will be the basis for many of the discussions that remain. In fact, he himself has explained in an interview to the website of the Vatican that the structure of the debate will be open, “free” and close to the method of a synod of bishops. “We will send a questionnaire to all the participants. It is important to share the experiences, difficulties and possible solutions to address this terrible scandal. It seems to us that this mode of proceeding, it expresses the dimension of synodality, so many times evoked by the Pope”.
The spokesman of the Holy see, Greg Burke, has also explained the sense of the meeting. “There is unprecedented, and shows how the Pope has become the protection of minors a priority for the Church. This is about keeping children safe from abuse in all over the world. And Francis wants the leaders to fully understand the devastating impact that the abuses of the clergy have on the victims. The meeting is primarily for the bishops, who are largely responsible for this serious problem. But men and women experts in this field also give their opinion”.
The Vatican hoped that the episcopal conferences be put to work already in proposals, projects and actions that they may be exposed in the meeting. “The consultative stage starts already. And will serve to collect and harmonize better the experience of all the episcopates,” warns Zollner. In the case of Spain, for example, there are those who wait on the Holy see that the preparation goes beyond a commission created without any kind of guarantees of impartiality and without a single victim in his breast.