• On Wednesday 14th September 2016, Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna delivered a talk on abuse by the clergy and the importance of protecting minors and vulnerable adults, during an early September seminar held in Rome, for bishops newly elected to dioceses in mission lands.

    Members of the Pope’s Commission for Child Protection, including an abuse survivor, have been speaking with new bishops and major Vatican offices as part of a mandate to develop and educate the church about best practices.

    Pontifical Commission members who are in Rome, are also set to address the Congregation for Clergy and to speak at seminars for recently appointed bishops. The training seminars are organized by the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The Members of the Pontifical Commission have spoken recently with officials at the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, as well as at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, which trains priests for service in the Vatican’s diplomatic corps.

    At the request of a clerical abuse survivor from Canada, the commission developed a proposal for a Universal Day of Prayer because “prayer is one part of the healing process for survivors and the community of believers” and public gatherings for prayer also help raise awareness about the issue, it said.

    Pope Francis received the proposal and has asked “that national bishops’ conferences choose an appropriate day on which to pray for the survivors and victims of sexual abuse as part of a Universal Day of Prayer initiative,” it said.

    The reason a universal date was not set is because a number of bishops’ conference around the world already have specific days set aside for penance and prayer for victims and their healing, Father Zollner told Catholic News Service.

    The Commission said it already has resources like prayers for Mass, liturgical texts and other materials available on request as part of the Day of Prayer initiative.

     

    Source: Catholic News.com

    File Photo: Curia Communications Office