Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine CATHOLIC www.biloxidiocese.org VOLUME 36 / NUMBER 16 April 5, 2019 Rite of Admission to Candidacy for the Orders of Deacon and Presbyter Bishop Louis F. Kihneman III admitted three men to Candidacy for the Orders of Deacon and Presbyter on Sunday, March 17, during the Annual Youth Conference Mass at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center. The men, pictured with Bishop Kihneman, l-r, are Leszek Kwasniowski, Tomasz A. Powroznik and Adam Frey. Photos/Juliana Skelton Priest sees progress on abuse, but also resistance in some ‛quartersʼ BY BETH GRIFFIN Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- The clergy abuse crisis will not be over in our lifetime, particularly in countries where it is just being acknowledged, according to Jesuit Father Hans Zollner. However, a growing understanding of the issue among church leadership and commitment to concrete measures that include lay participation will help dispel anger and eventually restore trust, he said. Father Zollner is a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and president of the Center for Child Protection at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He was a lead organizer of the Vatican’s February summit on abuse. Father Zollner delivered the Russo Family Lecture March 26 at Jesuit-run Fordham University. It was pre- ceded by a presentation by Margaret Leland Smith and Karen Terry, researchers at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and authors of two seminal reports on the scope and causes of abuse by clergy. “We are at a breaking point in church history,” Father Zollner said. The abuse crisis is a symptom of a disease that relates to deeper issues of faith, belief and the church’s relationship with a changing world, he said. In the past 14 months, there has been a dramatic shift in the United States, Germany and some other countries grappling with the issue, he said. Beyond the familiar disappointment and disgust over clerical abuse, Father Zollner said there is a growing spiritual desolation, which St. Ignatius defined as the state of the soul in which there is a decrease in faith, hope, love, trust and orientation. It is caused by “a sense of betrayal and concern about leadership who did not abuse but were negligent or cov- ered up more or less actively and obfuscated informa- tion,” he said. Pope Francis and others in church leadership have begun to speak about the systemic elements that must be addressed, including clericalism, abuse of power, abuse of conscience and an inability to face reality, Father Zollner said. In his letter to bishops and leaders of religious orders before the summit on abuse, Pope Francis reminded them of their responsibility to understand and act on the issue consistently and take common responsibility together for their actions, Father Zollner said. “2018 is a year of change. We are at another level of awareness,” he said. The actions reflect societal change, too, including the #MeToo movement. “The gods of sport and film were thrown down from their thrones, as were some cardinals. The untouchables have become touchable and are facing prison sentences,” he said. SEE ABUSE FORDHAM PANEL ZOLLNER, PAGE 8

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzEwNTM=