Keep the Faith, Change the Church.

Will Vatican Bishops’ Summit Be Turning Point for Clergy Abuse Crisis?

Voice of the Faithful awaits action from bishops worldwide gathering at the Vatican Feb. 21-24 to discuss solutions to the evil of clergy sexual abuse in the Church. We’ve been here before and, once again, hope that Church leaders will find ways to turn the corner on this crisis, become truly transparent and accountable, and offer healing for the entire Body of Christ. We trust our hope is not in vain, but experience tempers our expectations.

At least this time, the Vatican is attempting a degree of transparency:

Pope's sex abuse prevention summit explained / Associated Press

Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich, one of the summit organizers, said the sexual abuse of adults needs to be addressed. But he said the four-day summit must remain focused on its original intent. “Young people, minors don’t have a voice. They are kept in silence,” he said. “This is about making sure their voice is heard.” (National Catholic Reporter)

Vatican defrocks ex-U.S. Cardinal McCarrick over sex abuse / Associated Press in The Boston Globe

The officials ‘‘imposed on him the penalty of dismissal from the clerical state.’’ (Associated Press in The Boston Globe)

Pope Francis has defrocked former U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick after Vatican officials found him guilty of soliciting for sex while hearing Confession and sexual crimes against minors and adults, the Holy See said Saturday (Feb. 16).

In the Vineyard: February 15, 2019

In the Vineyard :: February 15, 2019 :: Volume 19, Issue 3

News from National

Message from a Survivor: Wear Blue Feb. 17

Olan Horne, a survivor of clergy sex abuse who has spent years supporting other survivors and seeking justice, is urging us to wear blue ribbons Sunday, as a message before the bishop summit in Rome. Here is his note:

Theology, history, canon law may figure in lay role in addressing crisis / Catholic News Service on CatholicPhilly.com

Reform is a constant in church history, he (Carlos Eire, a professor of history and religious studies at Yale University) added, because “corruption is a constant in human history.” (Catholic News Service on CatholicPhill.com)

 A panel of academics at a Feb. 6 conference on the clergy sex abuse crisis noted that the current crisis is not the first scandal to confront the church, and that the church has had trouble putting those scandals to rest.