Benedict XVI is speaking out against the crimes of child pornography and pedophilia, and is underlining the need to fight these evils through a solid formation of conscience.
The Pope stated this today during his traditional meeting with the cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and members of the Roman Curia and of the Governorate of Vatican City State, for the exchange of Christmas greetings.
“For all its new hopes and possibilities, our world is at the same time troubled by the sense that moral consensus is collapsing, consensus without which juridical and political structures cannot function,” he observed.
The Pontiff continued, “Excita, Domine, potentiam tuam, et veni [stir up your power O Lord and come]: Amid the great tribulations to which we have been exposed during the past year, this Advent prayer has frequently been in my mind and on my lips.”
He mentioned in particular the abuse of minors by clergy that came to light over the past year, crimes of “priests who twist the sacrament into its antithesis, and under the mantle of the sacred profoundly wound human persons in their childhood, damaging them for a whole lifetime.”
“We must accept this humiliation as an exhortation to truth and a call to renewal,” the Holy Father said. “Only the truth saves.”
VATICAN CITY, DEC. 20, 2010 (Zenit.org)
Il-Papa kkritika b’qawwa l-atti kriminali li jissarrfu f’pornografija li tisfrutta lit-tfal u anki f’pedofelija. Issottolinea l-ħtieġa tal-ġlieda kontra l-ħażen permezz ta’ formazzjoni soda tal-kuxjenza. Il-Papa qal dan waqt il-laqgħa tradizzjonali tiegħu mal-Kardinali, l-Arċisqfijiet, l-Isqfijiet u l-membri tal-Kurja ta’ Ruma u l-Governanza tal-Istat tal-Vatikan, fl-okkażjoni tal-bdil tal-awguri għal żmien il-Milied.
“Għall-fini ta’ tamiet u opportunitajiet ġodda li għandha llum, id-dinja li qed ngħixu fiha hi mtaqqla mis-sens tal-konsensus morali li qed jikrolla, kunsens li mingħajru ma jkunux jistgħu jiffunzjonaw sew l-istrutturi ġuridiċi u poltiċi”.
Fir-riflessjoni tiegħu waqt il-messaġġ li għaddilhom waqt il-bdil tal-awguri, il-Papa Benedittu XVI semma l-abbuż tal-minuri mill-membri tal-Kleru li nġiebu għall-attenzjoni tal-pubbliku fl-aħħar sena, krimini minn qassisin li permezz tas-sagrament tal-Ordni Sagri, weġġgħu persuni umani fi tfulithom, b’konsegwenza għal ħajjithom kollha.
Il-Papa temm jgħid li “rridu nkunu kapaċi naċċettaw din l-umiljazzjoni bħala eżortazzjoni ta’ verita u sejħa ħal tiġdid”.