蜜桃交友

By Pope

There have been four Press Conferences, coinciding with the four days of the Meeting. Each one has provided a synthesis of the day鈥檚 discussions and reflections, and allowed journalists an opportunity to engage with participants and speakers in what was often a lively Q&A session.

One implicit (and explicit) question underscored the concluding press briefing on Sunday: 鈥淲hat now鈥�? Expectations were high, especially given Pope Francis鈥� mandate to participants, at the start of the Meeting, to come up with 鈥渃oncrete鈥� initiatives to help the Church in protecting minors.

Concrete initiatives

It fell to Fr. Federico Lombardi SJ, as Moderator of the Meeting on the 鈥淧rotection of Minors in the Church鈥�, to announce three such initiatives:

1. The imminent publication of a Motu proprio by the Pope, providing rules and regulations to safeguard minors and vulnerable adults within Vatican City State. 

2. The distribution of a 鈥渧ademecum鈥� (or rulebook) to Bishops around the world, explaining their juridical and pastoral duties and responsibilities with regard to protecting children.

3. The creation of an operative 鈥渢ask force鈥�, comprising competent experts, to assist those Bishops鈥� Conferences that may lack the necessary resources or expertise to confront the issue of safeguarding minors, and deal with abuse.

There was a fourth response to the 鈥渨hat now鈥� question: the fact that the Organizing Committee will be meeting with heads of Vatican Curia departments to discuss follow-up and reflect on a related question: 鈥淲hat next?鈥�

Media relationships

The 鈥淧rotection of Minors鈥� Meeting in the Vatican has received extensive coverage throughout the media over the last few days. The Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, Paolo Ruffini, acknowledged as much when he thanked journalists for their work. He stressed the role of journalists as that of 鈥渟earching for and reporting the truth鈥�. He spoke of the importance of 鈥渓istening without prejudice鈥�, and confirmed how   鈥渢here can be no communication if everyone is talking and no one is listening鈥�. Ruffini, and others on the panel at the Press Conference, praised Mexican journalist, Valentina Alazraki, for her 鈥渃ourageous鈥� contribution to the Meeting on Saturday, when she addressed the Bishops on the theme of transparency: 鈥溾��.

Addressing the Press Conference, Valentina Alazraki encouraged 鈥渨orking together with the Church鈥� on this issue, but reminded the Bishops never to say 鈥渘o comment鈥�, and to be sure to provide media with 鈥渢imely and fair information鈥�.

Last impressions

Asked for his take-away on the 鈥淧rotection of Minors鈥� Meeting, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, called it 鈥渢imely, useful, and necessary鈥�. He and his brother Bishops, he said, came away with a universal understanding and consciousness that confronting the problem of abuse is 鈥渁 priority for the Church鈥�. He also praised the contribution of women at the encounter, highlighting the value of their 鈥渇eminine insights and perspectives鈥�.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta provided his own 鈥渇lashbacks of these four days鈥�. He said he was struck by the Holy Father鈥檚 and his clarity, defining both abuse and cover-ups as 鈥渆gregious crimes鈥�. 鈥淭here is no going back鈥�, said the Archbishop. He also said that the presence of victims-survivors was a vital part of the experience. 鈥淲e cannot not listen to victim-survivors鈥�, he added. Archbishop Scicluna stressed how 鈥渁t the end of the day, it is a change of heart that is important鈥�. We need the right motivation and, for that, we need to listen to different voices 鈥� including those of women, who (in the case of this Meeting) provided a 鈥渂reath of fresh air鈥�.

Jesuit Father Hans Zollner, is a member of the Organizing Committee and Head of the Centre for Child Protection at the Pontifical Gregorian University. He spoke of a 鈥渜ualitative and quantitative leap along a decade-long journey that will continue鈥�. Attitudes have changed, he said, and people have been transformed: they are determined to 鈥済o back home and do something about it鈥�.

Right now, concluded Fr. Zollner, 鈥渨e need to focus on what we have done here鈥� at this Meeting in the Vatican, and to tackle 鈥渢he systemic roots of the problem鈥�. These, the themes of the three days of the Meeting, reflect both the problem and the solution: Responsibility, Accountability, and Transparency.