Pope says the victims of abuse should be treated the same way in all Churches of the world
Francis tells the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, “It is not right” that in some “parts of the world they suffer in silence, perhaps rejected or stigmatized when they try to come forward to tell of the abuse they have suffered.” A “spirituality of reparation” should be nurtured through listening to those who hurt.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis spoke to members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors whom he received in audience today at the Vatican.
In his address, the pontiff said that inequalities between the different areas of the world in the Church must be overcome with regard to the suffering of minors victims of sexual abuse.
“It is not right,” the pontiff said, “that the most prosperous areas of the world should have well-trained and well-funded safeguarding programmes, where victims and their families are respected, while in other parts of the world they suffer in silence, perhaps rejected or stigmatized when they try to come forward to tell of the abuse they have suffered. Here too, the Church must seek to be a model of acceptance and good practice.”
Francis said he was encouraged by the plans prepared by the Commission, namely “training programmes and assistance to victims,” that include Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Earlier in his speech Pope Francis acknowledged that, “The sexual abuse of minors by clergy and its poor handling by Church leaders has been one of the greatest challenges for the Church in our time. [. . .] The failure to act properly to halt this evil and to assist its victims has sullied our witness to God’s love.”
He added that, “Over the last decade, we have all learned a great deal, myself included!
Along with the measures to counteract the recurrence of this issue, Francis also pointed the Commission towards what he calls a “spirituality of reparation".
“The terrible sense of loss that many experience as a result of abuse can sometimes seem a burden too heavy to bear. [. . .] Yet the Lord, who brings about new birth in every age, can restore life to dry bones (cf. Ezek 37:6).
“Even when the path forward is difficult and demanding, I urge you not to get bogged down; keep reaching out, keep trying to instil confidence in those you meet and who share with you this common cause. Do not grow discouraged when it seems that little is changing for the better. Persevere and keep moving forwards!”
But reparation must obviously look above all at the victims.
“Recently I met with a group of survivors of abuse, who had asked to meet with the leadership of the religious institute that ran the school they attended around fifty years ago.”
“All of them were elderly and some of them, realizing that time is passing quickly, expressed their wish to live out their remaining years in peace. For them, peace meant resuming their relationship with the Church that had hurt them. They wanted closure not only for the evil they had suffered, but also for the questions that had haunted them ever since.
“They wanted to be heard and believed; they wanted someone to help them to understand. We talked together and they had the courage to open up. In particular, the daughter of one of them spoke of the impact of her father’s experience on their entire family. Mending the torn fabric of past experience is a redemptive act, the act of the suffering Servant, who did not avoid pain, but took upon himself the iniquity of us all”.
“Now is the time to repair the damage done to previous generations and to those who continue to suffer. This Easter season is a sign that a new time is being prepared for us, a new springtime, made fruitful by the work and tears we share with those who have suffered. That is why it is important that we never stop pressing ahead.”
Finally, “From the ordinary life of a diocese in its parishes and seminary, to the training of catechists, teachers and other pastoral workers, the importance of safeguarding minors and vulnerable persons must be the rule for everyone.
“In this regard, in religious and apostolic life, even cloistered novices must adhere to the same ministerial standards as their elderly brothers and sisters who spent a lifetime teaching the young.”
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