Catholic Diocese Tucson

16 CATHOLIC OUTLOOK JUNE/JULY 2019 By MICHAEL BROWN Managing Editor Saying he was “deeply grateful,” Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger welcomed the May 9 instruction by Pope Francis on how dioceses around the world must deal with allegations of clergy sex abuse. “I am deeply grateful to our Holy Father for his leadership and assistance with a grave evil that touches not only on the lives of Catholics and our church but indeed is found in every sector of society,” the bishop wrote in a statement issued the same day as the document. “It is my hope that our church’s response might be an example for other organizations to take and an important step toward combatting the crime of sexual abuse everywhere.” Bishop Weisenburger noted that the document, a motu proprio issued by the pope, has the force of church law and is mandated for every diocese around the world. The title is “ Vos estis lux mundi ” (“You are the Light of the World”). The document’s release follows last year’s Extraordinary Synod of Bishops that focused on clergy sex abuse. The motu proprio is available in English and Spanish at http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/ motu_proprio/documents/papa-francesco-motu- proprio-20190507_vos-estis-lux-mundi.html. The bishop also praised it for providing guidance when a bishop himself is accused of sexual impropriety or failing to appropriately handle a claim of impropriety by a member of the clergy. “The document requires church officials to follow local reporting laws and provides a clear line of reporting through the papal ambassador to the Holy See,” Bishop Weisenburger wrote. “In all these ways I believe our Holy Father has helped to clarify the criminal nature of sexual abuse as well as given us a procedure that will enable the Church to respond more aggressively when receiving allegations of misconduct.” He anticipated the motu proprio would be reviewed and promptly implemented at the spring meeting of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting in Baltimore June 10-14. The bishop’s statement can be found at diocesetucson.org/Communications/ pressrelease/2019/05.09.19-Bishop%20 Weisenburger%20Statement.pdf. Bishop: We are ‘deeply grateful’ for pope’s direction in ‘ Vos estis ’ By CAROL GLATZ Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis’ new norms on protecting minors and strengthening accountability are the latest steps in driving home the message that the days of keeping abuse allegations covered up or ignored are over, said the Vatican’s top abuse investigator. In the past, some people may have thought they were protecting the Church by remaining silent, but that behavior was never acceptable, Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta, adjunct secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, told reporters. “The good of the Church requires condemnation” to the proper authorities when it comes to abuse of minors and abuses of power, he said. The archbishop spoke to reporters about Pope Francis’ latest apostolic letter, “ Vos estis lux mundi ” (“You are the light of the world”) at a news conference at the Vatican May 9. The new document establishes and clarifies norms and procedures for holding bishops and religious superiors accountable when it comes to safeguarding minors as well as abuses carried out against adults with violence, threats or an abuse of authority. The new norms are important, Archbishop Scicluna said, because they clearly tell people they have an obligation to report already existing crimes, negligence and inappropriate behavior to church authorities. That obligation “has always been there, but experience shows us that either a closed- shop mentality or a misplaced interest in protecting the institution was hindering disclosure,” he said. The now universal law of mandating all clerics, as well as men and women religious, to report to the competent ecclesiastical authorities the abuses of which they become aware is important, he said, “because it makes disclosure the main policy of the Church.” Procedures have already been in place when it comes to accusations of abuse of minors by priests, so the new norms address what to do when the accused is a bishop, cardinal, patriarch or religious superior and how accusations against leadership of abuse or misconduct must be reported. For example, “if a priest uses force with an adult, it’s the bishop who takes that case,” he said. However, “when a person in leadership is guilty of misconduct, the jurisdiction pertains to the Holy See,” he said. The new norms and clear procedures, particularly with their emphasis on having an impartial investigation of leaders, send the message that “no leadership is above the law.” “There is no immunity” from God’s law and canon law, he added. When asked if victims will be pleased with the new laws, the archbishop said, “Victims will be satisfied if the laws give rise to a new culture.” “I would never go to a person who has suffered, give them a piece of paper and say that we have fixed everything. People need concrete responses” and action, which is why “I am telling people, ‘Help the pope so that his desire (to prevent abuse) becomes a reality in your dioceses.’” The new norms will not fix everything, he added, but they do send “a very strong message that disclosure is the order of the day, and not silence.” It is also the first time “compliance with state laws” concerning the abuse of minors gets placed in the realm of the Church’s universal law, the archbishop said. Even though the doctrinal congregation’s circular letter in 2011 made it clear the Church must obey civil laws regarding abuse and reporting, the new apostolic letter “ratifies in a universal law” that mandate to respect civil requirements. Days of mishandling allegations are over, says Vatican adviser CNS photo by Robert Duncan Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, speaks at a news conference presenting Pope Francis’ new document, “ Vos estis lux mundi ” (“You are the light of the world”) at the Vatican May 9. The document, which went into effect June 1, establishes and clarifies norms and procedures for holding bishops and religious superiors accountable in protecting minors as well as in protecting members of religious orders and seminarians from abuse. He anticipated the motuproprio wouldbe reviewedandpromptly implementedat the springmeetingof theUSConference of Catholic Bishops meeting inBaltimore June10-14.