Cardinal Sean O’Malley, head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, recently said: “This is a critical moment for the universal Church in addressing the sexual abuse crisis.

“The February meeting will be an important moment for developing a clear path forward for dioceses around the world. We must continue to embrace and practise a commitment to zero tolerance, work for greater transparency, including the release of names of clergy accused of abuse, and encourage all religious orders to adopt a similar policy and cooperate with civil and legal authorities. Above all else, we must place the support and pastoral care of survivors first.

“This is a life-long journey that is now part of the fabric of the Catholic family and requires a partnership between the laity and clergy in responding to the failures of episcopal leadership by holding bishops accountable for the crimes against children and vulnerable adults.”        

Listening in prayer

During a recent audience with seminarians from the Sicilian diocese of Agrigento, Pope Francis said “...in the first place there is the dialogue with the Lord, which is constituted of mutual listening: He listens to me and I listen to Him. No fiction. No mask. This listening to the heart in prayer educates us to be people able to listen to others, to become, God willing, priests who offer the service of listening – and how much we need it! – and it educates us increasingly to be a Church that listens, a community that knows how to listen.

“You now live this in particular in contact with the young, meeting them, listening to them, inviting them to express themselves... But this applies to all pastoral life: like Jesus, the Church is sent into the world to listen to the cry of humanity, which is often a silent cry, sometimes repressed, suffocated.”        

No to corruption

In a recent statement the bishops of Peru wrote: “It is impossible to continue to tolerate living with corruption”.

The bishops strongly condemned “deep-rooted corruption” and the “unacceptable primacy of special interests, to the detriment of the common good”.

The Peruvian bishops said the people “demand a radical change”. They urged people to vote in a “historic and decisive” referendum on anti-corruption and government reform measures, that will take place on December  9. The bishops also called for guarantees of “constitutional rule of law and an honourable, honest and independent judicial system”.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)

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