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Thursday, March 21, 2002

CARDINAL ADDRESSES PROBLEMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE AND PEDOPHILIA


VATICAN CITY, MAR 21, 2002 (VIS) - Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, today addressed the questions of sexual abuse and pedophilia during the press conference to present Pope John Paul's Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday 2002.

Following is his entire intervention on these questions:

"With regard to the problems of sexual abuse and pedophile cases, allow me to give a single answer.

"Within the sphere of pan-sexuality and libertinage that have come about in the world, several priests, men of this culture, have committed the extremely serious crime of sexual abuse.

"I wish to emphasize two points:

"There are no comparative statistics with regard to other professions such as doctors, psychiatrists, psychologist, educators, sportsmen and women, journalists, politicians or any other common categories, including parents and relatives. From what we know as the result of one study - among others - published in the book by Professor Philip Jenkins of Pennsylvania State University, about three (3) percent of the American clergy would seem to have tendencies towards the abuse of minors and 0.3 percent of clergy would seem to be pedophiles.

"2. At a moment in which Christian sexual morals and civil sexual morals have suffered a notable slackening worldwide, paradoxically, but also fortunately, over a period of months a sense of rejection and a shared sensitivity with regards to pedophilia has developed, with both penal and economic repercussions regarding compensation for damages.

"What is the attitude of the Catholic Church?

"The Church has always defended public morals and the common good and has intervened in defense of the holiness of the lives of priests, setting up sanctions for these crimes through her canonical laws.

"The Church has never neglected the problem of sexual abuses, above all by sacred ministers, not only towards the faithful in general but in a special way towards minors, for whom our priority is the duty to educate in the faith and Christian morals (cf. the Congregations history dedicated to education and human promotion).

"Already in the 1917 Code of Canon Law, Canon 2359, para 2 stated: 'Se delictum admiserint contra sectum decalogi praeceptum cum minoribus infra aetatem sexdecim annorum ... suspendantur, infames declarentur, quolibet officio, beneficio, dignitate, munere, si quod habeant, priventur, et in casibus gravioribus deponantur'.

"In the revised 1983 Code of Canon Law, there is a precise reference to this problem in Canon 1395, para 2 ('If a cleric has otherwise committed an offense against the sixth commandment of the Decalogue with force or threats or publicly or with a minor below the age of sixteen, the cleric is to be punished with just penalties, including dismissal from the clerical state if the case warrants it') and in the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches from 1990, Canon 1435, para 1.

"More recently the Holy Father John Paul II deplored the seriousness of these types of behavior, firmly reminding Bishops and priests to be vigilant in fidelity to their commitment to moral exemplarity, both writing and speaking to the Bishops of the United States of America, and in the Apostolic Exhortation 'Ecclesia in Oceania' where he declared: 'In certain parts of Oceania, sexual abuse by some clergy and religious has caused great suffering and spiritual harm to the victims, It has been very damaging to the life of the Church and has become an obstacle to the proclamation of the Gospel. The Synod Fathers condemned all sexual abuse and all forms of abuse of power, both within the Church and in society as a whole. Sexual abuse within the Church is a profound contradiction of the teaching and witness of Jesus Christ. The Synod Fathers wished to apologize unreservedly to the victims for the pain and disillusionment caused to them. The Church in Oceania is seeking open and just procedures to respond to complaints in this area, and is unequivocally committed to the compassionate and effective care for the victims, their families, the whole community, and the offenders themselves'.

"On April 30, 2001, the Holy Father published the Apostolic Letter 'Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela' with the 'Normae de gravioribus delictis Congregationi pro Doctrina Fidei reservatis' whereby the jurisdiction for a series of grave crimes against the holiness of the Sacraments and against the specific educating mission of sacred Ministers towards the young, including pedophilia, is reserved solely to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

"The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in assuming this special jurisdiction, sent a letter in this regard to the world's Bishops, and accompanies them in undertaking responsibilities in the face of such grave facts, both in order to avoid the risk of any negligence, and for a greater connection and coordination among local Churches and the central government of the Universal Church, with the aim of obtaining a more homogenous behavior on the part of local Churches, while still respecting the diversity of situations and persons.

"With the old norms, one could speak of pedophilia if a cleric had this type of criminal behavior with a minor under the age of 16. This age limit has now been raised to 18. In addition, for this type of crime the precept has been prolonged to ten years and it has been established that this starts when the victim is 18 years old, aside from when the victim underwent the abuse.

"In the norms there is also, shall we say, a kind of element of guarantee. This will serve to distance any danger that the culture of suspicion might win out. A true, regular process for ascertaining facts and for confirming the proof of guilt before a court has been foreseen. Certainly we must insist on the rapidity of such a process. But what must also be insisted on are preliminary investigations that allow cautionary provisions to be taken that prevent the suspected individual from causing further harm.

"The provisions and processes must guarantee the preservation of the sanctity of the Church, the common good and the rights of the victims and those who are guilty.

"The Laws of the Church are serious and severe and were conceived within the apostolic tradition of treating internal things from within, which does not mean in the external public order, nor removing oneself from any civil regulation that is in force in various countries, except for the case of sacramental seal or secrets linked to the exercise of the episcopal ministry and the pastoral common good."

OP;ABUSE; PEDOPHILIA;...;CASTRILLON HOYOS;VIS;20020321;Word: 1100;

POPE JOHN PAUL'S LETTER TO PRIESTS FOR HOLY THURSDAY 2002


VATICAN CITY, MAR 21, 2002 (VIS) - Made public today was the Holy Father's traditional Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday. His message this year focussed on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, but also touched upon two other issues: the lack of peace in the world, and what he called "the sins of some of our brothers who have betrayed the grace of Ordination in succumbing even to the most grievous forms of the 'mysterium iniquitatis' at work in the world."

The Letter to Priests, published in several languages, was signed by Pope John Paul on march 17, the fifth Sunday of Lent.

Following are excerpts from the 19-page document:

"I would like this year to speak to you about an aspect of our mission to which I called your attention last year at this same time. I believe that it warrants further reflection. I mean the mission which the Lord has given us to represent him not just in the Eucharistic Sacrifice but also in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us: 'The Eucharist cannot unite us to Christ without at the same time cleansing us from past sins and preserving us from future sins' (No. 1393). ... 'The Eucharist,' the Catechism continues, 'is not ordered to the forgiveness of mortal sins. That is proper to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. ... 'anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion' (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1385).

"I feel a pressing need to urge you, as I did last year, to rediscover for yourselves and to help others to rediscover the beauty of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In recent decades and for a variety of reasons, this sacrament has passed through something of a crisis. ... (Today, there is a) need for personal contact, something that is becoming increasingly scarce in the hectic pace of today's technological society, but which for this very reason is increasingly experienced as a vital need. Certainly, this need can be met in various ways. But how can we fail to recognize that the Sacrament of Reconciliation ' without confusing it with any of the various forms of psychological therapy ' offers an extraordinarily rich response to this need? It does so by bringing the penitent into contact with the merciful heart of God through the friendly face of a brother."

"I wish to repeat that the usual form of administering this sacrament is its individual celebration, and only in 'cases of grave necessity' is it lawful to employ the communal form with general confession and absolution. The conditions required for this form of absolution are well known; but perhaps we should remember that for absolution to be valid the faithful must have the intention of subsequently confessing their grave sins individually (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1483)."

"Surrounded by a wide variety of pastoral situations, we can sometimes lose heart and motivation because so many Christians pay too little attention to the sacramental life, and even when they do approach the sacraments, they often do so in a superficial way. ... The confessor should not fail to use the sacramental encounter to lead penitents to some grasp of the way in which God is mercifully reaching down to them, stretching out his hand, not to strike but to save."

"The ministry of the confessional ... is a ministry always beset by two opposite extremes: severity and laxity. ... We must always be careful to maintain a proper balance in order to avoid falling into one or the other of these extremes. Severity crushes people and drives them away. Laxity is misleading and deceptive."

"Accordingly, confessors too need to be properly trained for the celebration of this Sacrament. ... Let us also make every effort to keep our theological training truly up-to-date, especially where emerging ethical issues are concerned. It can happen that in the face of complex contemporary ethical problems the faithful leave the confessional with somewhat confused ideas, especially if they find that confessors are not consistent in their judgments."

The Letter concludes: "Dear Priests! Know that I am especially close to you as you gather with your Bishops on this Holy Thursday of the year 2002. We have all experienced a new momentum in the Church at the dawn of the new millennium, in the sense of 'starting afresh from Christ'. We had all hoped that this momentum might coincide with a new era of brotherhood and peace for all humanity. Instead we have seen more bloodshed. Once again we have been witnesses of wars. We are distressed by the tragedy of the divisions and hatreds which are devastating relations between peoples.

"At this time too, as priests we are personally and profoundly afflicted by the sins of some of our brothers who have betrayed the grace of Ordination in succumbing even to the most grievous forms of the 'mysterium iniquitatis' at work in the world. Grave scandal is caused, with the result that a dark shadow of suspicion is cast over all the other fine priests who perform their ministry with honesty and integrity and often with heroic self-sacrifice. As the Church shows her concern for the victims and strives to respond in truth and justice to each of these painful situations, all of us ' conscious of human weakness, but trusting in the healing power of divine grace ' are called to embrace the 'mysterium Crucis' and to commit ourselves more fully to the search for holiness. We must beg God in his Providence to prompt a whole-hearted reawakening of those ideals of total self-giving to Christ which are the very foundation of the priestly ministry."

LIT;PRIESTS; HOLY THURSDAY;...;...;VIS;20020321;Word: 950;

REDISCOVER THE BEAUTY OF THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION


VATICAN CITY, MAR 21, 2002 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos and Archbishop Csaba Ternyak, prefect and secretary respectively of the Congregation for Clergy, presented the "Letter of the Holy Father John Paul II to Priests for Holy Thursday, 2002."

Archbishop Ternyak said that the Pope's Letter "has as a central theme the sacrament of Reconciliation, more specifically individual confession. "Perhaps it may be surprising," he said, "that the Pope again touches on a topic already addressed last year."

Cardinal Castrillon highlighted three aspects of the Letter's content; firstly, "the intimate connection of the sacrament of Reconciliation with the Eucharist, 'source and summit of all Christian life'". After emphasizing that the Eucharist "is not ordered to the forgiveness of mortal sins, the letter emphasizes the importance for each priest to rediscover and make all people rediscover the richness of the forgiveness of God."

"Secondly," the cardinal continued, "it is affirmed that sacramental confession is man's very special, personal and redemptive conversation with Christ who forgives. If many people have lost the dimension of good and evil, it is because they have lost the meaning of God, interpreting the offense above all according to psychological and sociological perspectives."

He added: "It is necessary that the announcement of reconciliation, the path of conversation and the celebration itself of the sacrament shine greatly and touch the intimacy of the human heart. ... Priests know that they are good confessors if they themselves are humble and frequent penitents."

The Letter presents in conclusion "the biblical image of Jesus' encounter with Zacchaeus, an admirable manifestation of the divine mercy that prepares and leads the penitent man to sincere, existential conversion: to open oneself up to love, to reparation for the wrong committed and to a firm resolution of new life."

With respect to the problem of serious scandals caused by some priests in various countries, Cardinal Castrillon said that "the Holy Father expresses the concern of the whole Church for the victims of these painful situations and invites all priests to trust in the cleansing power of grace, to embrace the 'mysterium Crucis' and to commit themselves further to seeking sanctity."

OP;LETTER PRIESTS;...;CASTRILLON; TERNYAK;VIS;20020321;Word: 380;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 21, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father nominated Bishop Romulo Emiliani Sanchez C.M.F., apostolic vicar of Darien, Panama, as auxiliary bishop of the diocese of San Pedro Sula in Honduras.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAR 21, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
- Archbishop Joseph Chennoth, apostolic nuncio in the Central African Republic and Chad.
- Cardinal Camillo Ruini, his vicar general for the diocese of Rome and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference.

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