Vatican City, Feb 7, 2015 / 12:47 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- One survivor of priestly sexual abuse says that despite a common perception that clerical celibacy can lead to sex abuse of minors, most perpetrators likely had issues before entering the seminary. “People don't enter the priesthood and become child abusers, I don't think that's the case. I think that they had serious issues before entering Holy Orders,” Peter Saunders told journalists in a Feb. 7 press briefing. Although there are “far too many” clerics who have committed sexual abuse of minors, “the vast majority of priests and religious will never hurt a child. I think it's important to acknowledge that.” Saunders said that the term “pedophile” is overused, and that the priests who abused him, rather than having any illness, “were very lonely.” One of the 17 members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, Saunders spoke alongside the commission’s head, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, giving journalists an update on the work they're doing during their Feb. 6-8 meeting in Rome. Abused by priests in his adolescence, Saunders went on to found the National Association for People abused in Childhood, which is dedicated to offering support for all abuse survivors and for developing greater resources in abuse prevention. He was one of eight new members added to the Vatican commission last December. Announced in December 2013, the commission was officially established by Pope Francis last March in order to explore various proposals and initiatives geared toward the improvement of norms and procedures for protecting children and vulnerable adults This week’s meeting marks the first time the commission has met as a complete entity. Cardinal O'Malley also addressed the issue of the alleged connection between priestly celibacy and sexual abuse, saying that it is a “big ticket item” for the commission, as well as the psychological screening of young men before entering seminary. With 30 years as a bishop and a long tenure of handling cases of clerical sexual abuse in his various dioceses, the cardinal said that “I personally don't believe that celibacy is necessarily what causes abuse.” Although more studies need to be done on the topic, most show that “75-80 percent of abuse takes place in homes.” He also noted that with the current phenomenon of “serial cohabitation,” the problem of one’s partner abusing children is an increasing concern. The John Jay College study commissioned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2003 shows that since a more intense process of psychological screening has begun for young men who want to enter seminary, the number of clerical abuse cases “went down considerably,” the cardinal said. Another high priority topic on the commission’s discussion list is accountability for bishops who fail to report cases of clerical sexual abuse in their dioceses. “Bishop's accountability is most definitely something that is of concern and central to some of the work that is going to be carried out by commission,” Saunders said. Cardinal O'Malley weighed in that the commission is “very, very concerned” about the issue of bishop’s accountability, and have already begun work on new policies that would help the Church to respond “in an expeditious way” if a bishop has not fulfilled his obligations. The cardinal said that “there has to be consequences” for bishops who fail in their responsibilities. He also spoke of the need to develop procedures that will allow these cases of clerical abuse “to be dealt with in an expeditious way rather than just having things open ended.” The commission is currently in the process of forming several working groups to discuss specific areas in the protection of minors. So far a group addressing the needs and care of abuse survivors, as well as bishop’s accountability, have already met. In partnership with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the commission has requested that each bishop’s conference send in a set of guidelines on how to prevent the abuse of minors and how to deal with cases of abuse. Roughly 96 percent of bishop’s conferences have responded, with the remaining 4 percent being missionary countries who have limited resources and lack a diocesan structure. Cardinal O'Malley said that the commission will soon reach out to offer help and support to these countries, so that they will have the means of creating effective guidelines. “If you don't have a clear path to respond in cases of sexual abuse, people tend to improvise and when they improvise they make many mistakes even though there's all kinds of good will, and in those mistakes many innocent people suffer,” he said. Pope Francis on Thursday sent a letter to all presidents of bishop’s conferences and religious superiors, asking for their full cooperation with the Vatican commission. Cardinal O’Malley said that he, along with the other members of the commission, are “very grateful” that the Pope sent the letter, which was a suggestion the commission had made some time ago. “It reveals how important child protection is in his pontificate, and he wants the bishop’s conferences to cooperate. It also calls on bishops and religious superiors to realize their own responsibility for child protection and care of those who have been harmed,” the cardinal said. In addition to the current initiatives the Vatican commission is undertaking, they are working to develop educational seminars for Church leadership in the area of child protection. The seminars, Cardinal O’Malley noted, would be designed for the Roman Curia as well as any newly appointed bishops who come to Rome. The content would also be used in orientation programs sponsored by the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Also being prepared are materials for an official day of prayer for all those who have been harmed by sexual abuse. Saunders said that another issue the commission is discussing is how to encourage victims to come forward and speak out about their abuse. “The first thing these people should do, if they feel able to, is to report them to the police and civil authorities,” he said, noting that there is an “abysmal” past record of “ill-judged responses” on the part of bishops and priests throughout the world. Having waited 40 years to speak up about his own abuse, Saunders said that “it’s very important that survivors are able to come forward and speak the truth.” Both Saunders and Cardinal O’Malley stressed the importance of priests and bishops taking the time to sit down and talk with victims of clerical abuse as a means of forgiveness and healing. They pointed out how Pope Francis himself met with abuse victims last summer, Saunders being one of them before his appointment to the commission, and that it had a major impact on the pontiff’s personal life. Despite the fact that the commission still has a long road ahead of them, “they're a heck of a team and I know they're very, very determined, and that they will make a difference,” Saunders said. “I think all of us are very comforted that Pope Francis is listening and looking forward to hearing our advice…We're not here for lip service, we're here to protect our children, and our children's children.” Read more

Vatican City, Feb 7, 2015 / 10:51 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis has advocated for the widespread participation of women in all levels of the Church and society, saying that their unique gifts enrich both their families – as well as the public sphere. “A more widespread and incisive female presence in the community is desirable, so that we can see many women involved in pastoral responsibilities, in the accompaniment of persons, families and groups, as well as in theological reflection,” the Pope said Feb. 7. He encouraged women to make contributions in various social, cultural and economic structures, including education, pastoral activities, teaching the faith and within their own families. Speaking to women directly, the Pope said they know “how to show the tender face of God, his mercy, which translates in the availability to give time more than to occupy spaces, to welcome rather than to exclude.” “In this sense, I like to describe the feminine dimension of the Church as a welcoming womb that regenerates life.” Pope Francis’ address was directed to participants in the Pontifical Council for Culture’s annual plenary assembly in Rome. Held Feb. 4-7, this year’s gathering discussed the theme “Women’s Culture: Equality and Difference.” The topic, which is “very close” to the Pope’s heart, consists of finding and studying new criteria, so that women don’t feel like “guests,” but rather “full participants in the various areas of social and ecclesial life.” This is a challenge, he said, “that can no longer be postponed.” Alongside his endorsement for the advancement of women in society, Francis also cautioned that “we cannot forget the irreplaceable role of women in the family.” “The qualities of gentleness, of particular sensitivity and tenderness, which is abundant in the female soul, represent not only a genuine force for the life of families, for the irradiation of a climate of peace and harmony, but also a reality without which the human vocation would be unfeasible,” he said. Pope Francis encouraged the participation of women in the working field as well as in positions where important decisions are made, saying these roles should serve to uphold women’s special presence and attention in and for their families. Headed by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, the culture council organized the plenary as a review of various analysis on current challenges women face, both in society and in the Church, which were prepared by a panel of female consultants. In his speech to participants, Pope Francis said that Western societies have “left behind” the social subordination of women to men, although some negative effects still remain. Another societal model which presents men and women as absolute equals has also changed. What has emerged instead is “a new paradigm – that of reciprocity and in equivalence and in difference.” “The man-woman relationship, therefore, should recognize that both are necessary in that they possess, yes, an identical nature, but with their own modality. One is necessary to the other, and vice versa, so as to truly fulfill the fullness of the person.” On the topic of the feminine body, which the plenary’s working document noted is often subject to manipulation and violence, the Pope said that it is a symbol of life, and lamented the many ways it is often “disfigured, even by those who should be guardians and companions in life.” “The many forms of slavery, of commodification, of mutilation of women's bodies, oblige us therefore to work to defeat this form of degradation, which reduces (a woman’s body) to a mere object to sell on various markets,” he said. Francis closed his speech by encouraging participants to work hard in carrying out the commitments they made during the plenary discussion, and entrusted their efforts the Virgin Mary, who is a “sublime and concrete example as a woman and mother.” Read more

Vatican City, Feb 7, 2015 / 06:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Even though the 2014 Synod on the Family's final report included three paragraphs that failed to gain a consensus among the synod fathers, the secretary general of the Synod of Bishop maintains that the principle of consensus remains valid. Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri recently granted an interview to “La Settimana,” a Italian weekly magazine specialized in religion. In the interview, Cardinal Baldisseri spoke about the renewal of the  Synod of Bishop and the main issues the discussion at the last synod zeroed in on. He identified the “doctrinal framework on the marriage, the foundation of the family” as one of the points of strength of the recent synod’s final report. The 2014 Extraordinary Synod on the Family was held in October, and served as a preparation for an Ordinary Synod on the Family which will be held this autumn. “I would also add the announcement of the Gospel of the Family, and the push for marriage preparation in a social framework that has completely changed since St. John Paul II’s Familiaris consortio was written,” Cardinal Baldisseri underscored. St. John Paul II promulgated Familiaris consortio in 1981. All the issues presented by Cardinal Baldisseri were included synod’s final report, as a result of a lively discussion among the synod fathers. After discussion in small groups, many synod fathers criticized the midterm report, and asked the synod to focus more on the positive examples of Christian families; to rewrite the introduction and to more often refer to the Gospel of the Family; and also that it adopt a more prudent approach concerning the issues of the divorced and remarried, and homosexuals, in order not to produce confusion among the faithful about Church teaching. For example, the third English-speaking group, chaired by Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, said that “we strongly felt that the tone of the entire document should express our confidence in marriage.” And the second English-speaking group, headed by Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban, said the midterm report placed “too much emphasis on the problems facing the family,” and urged that the final report “provide an enthusiastic message which would encourage and inspire hope.” All of these issues were welcomed by Cardinal Baldisseri as points of strength of the synod’s final report. Cardinal Baldisseri did not identify points of weakness in the synod’s final report, but rather spoke of “a path of renewal of the institution (of the Synod) that has just begun, and that perhaps aroused some reaction in some.” “There was not a lack of transparency in the development of the synod’s discussion. It was rather the contrary,” Cardinal Baldisseri claimed. The 2014 synod has been criticized in some circles for a lack of transparency, because in previous synods the interventions, or speeches, of the participants were made public. The 2014 synod, overseen by Cardinal Baldisseri, did not publicly release the texts of the interventions. The secretary general of the synod said the real news of the final report “is that the Holy Father chose to publish it immediately it in its entirety, including the paragraphs that did not reach the supermajority of two-thirds of the votes.” According to the synod's regulations, paragraphs that do not receive a supermajority of two-thirds  have not gained a consensus, and thus customarily are not published in the final report. At the 2014 synod, two contentious paragraphs on the divorced and remarried, and one about homosexuals, failed to garner two-thirds of votes – though they did receive a simple majority. Cardinal Baldisseri stated that “the norm regarding a supermajority were  inserted in the synod regulations only about 10 years ago. The principle that consensus, or at least the wider and qualifying adhesion (to each paragraph), remains valid.” The lively discussions during the synod are described by Cardinal Baldisseri as an expression of “the spirit of communion, with great respect for the diverse positions, although the positions were contrasting in some issues.” The secretary general of the synod stressed that the work of the small groups was “fundamental, serious, and rich in ideas,” so that their “changes or contributions were inserted into the framework of the mid-term report” to create the final report. The cardinal also recounted that “there was a lively exchange of opinions” regarding the publication of the small groups' reports, while many synod fathers did not even consider it opportune to publish the mid-term report. Cardinal Baldisseri stated that “there are new situations that must be faced, not avoided … some of these situations never occurred before; they need a doctrinal deepening and pastoral courage to find proper solutions, always respecting truth and charity.” He affirmed that there are “attacks on and radical critics of the family, especially in the western world,” and stressed that “the Church is on the front line to respond (to these attacks) and to defend the institution of the family as a foundation of society and – for Christians – as the domestic Church.” Cardinal Baldisseri also recounted that the synod’s discussion “very much zeroed in on the need for more knowledge of Church teaching on marriage and the family, and – at the same time – on the need to give an adequate formation for marriage to young people.” Another issue at stake was that of “the streamlining of the procedures for declarations of nullity” and of “the Christian education of families,” since it is from families that “Christian faith arises, and there one should find the primary and determining reference point for Christian education.” In conclusion, Cardinal Baldisseri said that “Pope Francis desires that the synod fathers, bishops from all over the world, and the faithful be involved. In his speech at the end of the synod, the Pope said that we have one year we can use to bring ideas and proposals to maturation with true discernment, and find solutions.” “The Pope is clear with these words. There must not be any reticence, recession of thought, or fear in carrying forward the work of deepening (the synod’s issues). The Church is driven by the Holy Spirit.” Read more

Vatican City, Feb 6, 2015 / 01:41 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- With Slovaks set to hit the polls on tomorrow's referendum on marriage, Pope Francis used this week's general audience as a chance to encourage voters in defending the sacrament’s traditional definition. “I greet the pilgrims from Slovakia and, through them, I wish to express my appreciation to the entire Slovak Church, encouraging everyone to continue their efforts in defense of the family, the vital cell of society,” the Pope told pilgrims in his Feb. 4 general audience. The Pope’s declaration in defense of the family falls just days before Slovakians will vote for the third time on whether or not same-sex unions should be legalized in the country. After the Slovakian parliament inserted the definition of traditional marriage into their constitution last year, more than 400,000 Slovaks signed a petition calling for a national vote, Reuters news reports. Saturday’s referendum poses three questions to voters: whether marriage can only be a union between a man and a woman, whether children should be adopted by same-sex couples, and whether or not children can skip classes that educate on sex and euthanasia. Gay unions of any type are currently illegal in Slovakia, and two attempts to push them through parliament have failed in the past, Reuters reports. The country’s bishops have urged widespread support for campaigns to keep the traditional definition of marriage, and the Slovakian Episcopal Conference issued a pastoral letter on the topic that was read aloud in a televised Mass Feb. 1. Speaking of St. Joseph’s immediate defense of the child Jesus when informed by an angel that Herod was seeking to kill him after his birth, the bishops encouraged all parents and grandparents to go to the polls and defend young lives and families. In the face of those who want to distort children’s personality and sexuality to the extent that their future marital relationships will be affected, the bishops said that parents cannot remain “impassive.” Pope Francis in October warned members of the German Schoenstatt movement that the sacrament of marriage today has been reduced to an association, and encouraged them to be faithful witnesses in a secular world. “The family is being hit, the family is being struck and the family is being bastardized…you can call everything family, right?” he asked. “What is being proposed is not marriage, it's an association. But it's not marriage! It's necessary to say these things very clearly and we have to say it!” Pope Francis also lamented the fact that there are so many “new forms” of unions that are “totally destructive and limiting the greatness of the love of marriage.” He encouraged Catholics to engage in “close combat” with these destructive unions, particularly in the area of pastoral care, saying that it is the key to defending the sanctity of the sacrament. Read more

Vatican City, Feb 6, 2015 / 07:55 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his homily on Friday Pope Francis said that he is moved whenever he thinks of the many Christians killed for their faith, and encouraged faithful to remember them and their courageous witness. “I think of our martyrs, the martyrs of our times, men, women, children who are being persecuted, hated, driven out of their homes, tortured, massacred,” the Pope told attendees of his Feb. 6 Mass, held in the chapel of the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse. This martyrdom, he said, “is not a thing of the past: this is happening right now. Our martyrs, who are meeting their end under the authority of corrupt people who hate Jesus Christ.” Friday also marked the feast of Japanese martyr St. Paul Miki and his 25 companions, who were killed in hatred of the faith in Nagasaki on Feb. 5, 1597. On the feast commemorating their sacrifice, the Pope said that it would do the Church well to think about martyrs. While Paul Miki and his companions were an essential witness of their time, the pontiff urged attendees to “think of our present-day ones! Of 2015.” Pope Francis also recalled the death of John the Baptist in the day’s first reading, who was beheaded after speaking out against Herod’s marriage to his brother’s wife. Although John the Baptist is referred to in scripture as “the greatest man born of woman,” at the end of his life he becomes “so very small” through his imprisonment and death at the hands of a king “both fascinated and puzzled” by him. “That perplexed king becomes capable of making a decision, not because his heart was converted, but because the wine gave him courage,” the Roman Pontiff observed. “So John ends his life under the authority of a mediocre, drunk and corrupt king, at the whim of a dancer and the vindictive hatred of an adulteress. That's how the Great Man ends his life, the greatest man born of woman.” The Pope confessed that “I get emotional” when reading the passage because it reminds him of all those who give their life for the faith. Pope Francis said that John the Baptist’s final days before his death, during which he suffered doubts that Jesus was truly the one for whom he prepared the way, makes him think of the road we all take, and “where we will all end up.” “This makes me think of myself: I too will meet my end. We all will. No one can ‘buy’ their life,” he said. He concluded his homily by noting how each person is traveling on the road of “the existential annihilation of life” faced by both John the Baptist and Jesus on the cross, and prayed “that this annihilation is as similar as possible to that of Jesus Christ.” Read more

Vatican City, Feb 6, 2015 / 02:08 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In view of the much anticipated encyclical on ecology, countries, agencies, and even industries are seeking papal support in advance of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, being held in Paris in December. During his Jan. 15 in-flight press conference from Sri Lanka to the Philippines, Pope Francis said, “I will take a week of March, an entire week, to complete it. I believe that by the end of March it will be finished and sent out for translation. I think that if the work of translation goes well … it can come out in June or July. The important thing is that there be a bit of time between the issuing of the encyclical and the meeting in Paris, so that it can make a contribution.” While one of the restricted meetings that usually take place before any UN conference is being held in Geneva, Anote Tong, president of Kiribati, a Micronesian nation, met with Pope Francis on Thursday. Kiribati consists of more than 30 atolls, and Tong is very concerned about his country's future, as it becomes uninhabitable because of a shortage of potable water and disappearing land due to climate change. According to the Holy See press office, Tong and Pope Francis discussed “the importance of the safeguard of the environment and the issue of climate change, the effects of which are worrying.” Tong also met with officials of the Vatican Secretariat of State. Papal support has also been sought by the Environmental Protection Agency. EPA administrator Gina McCarthy came to meet Vatican officials Jan. 31 with the aim of showing how aligned US president Barack Obama and Pope Francis are on climate change. McCarthy shared in a press conference that global warming is a public threat, but also a chance for economic opportunity. According to a source involved in the preparation of the meetings, the talk between McCarthy and Vatican officials dealt with a wide range of issues, included that of the Holy See's policy at the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference, which is expected to be crucial. The Holy See's position is likely to be focused on two key topics: the need for a sustainable development, and the duty to protect. “This latter may be defined as the duty to protect populations from war or the duty to protect creation from exploitation,” a Vatican official expert in environmental issues explained to CNA Feb. 5. These two issues should be the pillars of the Holy See's position at the 2015 Paris conference. During the Jan. 15 press conference, Pope Francis said that the last such conference, held in Peru, “was nothing great. I was disappointed by the lack of courage; things came to a stop at a certain point. Let’s hope that in Paris the delegates will be more courageous and will move forward with this.” According to insiders, the document drafted in Lima was almost interlocutory, filled with “notions that needed further clarification.” “For example, an issue at stake is that of the intended national determined contribution – the effort each country undertakes to contribute to the common effort of combating climate change,” the source maintained. “But who will decide whether this effort is compliant or not? Who will control how financial support is being managed to meet the goals? And who will ask the parties to foster or increase their commitment?” The Holy See's opinion on the task may be crucial to switch the balance of discussions to one side or on the other, and this is the main reason why Pope Francis’ encyclical is so much awaited. The first draft of the encyclical was prepared by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace; Cardinal Turkson, the pontifical council's president, delivered a collection of opinions gathered from its internal and external advisors. The Vatican source maintained that the draft was then reviewed by a restricted commission which included officials of the Second Section of the State Secretariat, members of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and a top representative of the Pontifical Academy for Sciences. Pope Francis said during his in-flight interview that together with theologians he made a third draft, sending a copy to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the State Secretariat, and the Theologian of the Papal Household, and that he had received their responses. The final draft of the encyclical is reportedly now in the Pope's hands. The encyclical's main themes will likely be based on the twin pillars of a duty to protect and sustainable development. The encyclical should also deal with the issues of land seizures and of the universal destination of goods, a struggle the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace has been carrying forward for years. To this end, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace will release the document “Earth and Food” by the beginning of March. The document will be divided in three parts. The first part addresses some of the most important issues, such as the unmet right to food and the unsustainable use of natural resources; the second will propose Church teaching on creation; and the third will provide guidelines to address the issues. “It is likely that most of these reflections will be part of Pope Francis’ encyclical on ecology,” the Vatican source concluded. Read more