gli orrori nell’orfanotrofio “E i preti pedofili sono ancora qui– Mgr SciclunaThe abuse of priests against the children is enough to ‘kill the faith’

The Malta Independent
Andrea Tornielli
02 August 2011


[...]The Maltese monsignor thus became one of the future Pope’s closest collaborators and in 2002 was nominated as "promotor of justice" at the former Holy Office. Thanks to the new laws, all dead case files were opened again. Investigations were also reopened and finally, two years later, the Congregation started checking up on the Legion of Christ founder, Father Marcial Maciel. “A deep understanding grew between myself and cardinal Ratzinger who did not have a Canonical background but placed his trust in me nevertheless”.

When the question about what it had meant in terms of his life path, to be involved in these huge scandals, is asked, his face turns serious: “I understood that the Church did not crumble, despite these scandals, and this is precisely because its foundations are supernatural. There is no other way to explain it.”

“The Church – continues Scicluna – considers children’s’ innocence to be one its most precious treasures, and Benedict XVI’s leadership was and is vital. He had the courage to say: we have made a mistake here, here we need to change…” This is precisely what Ratzinger was referring to in his famous meditations for the Via Crucis on Holy Friday back in 2005, when he spoke of the “filth” that existed in the Church: “Those words came from three years of abuse case study; there was an awareness of the need to see priests’ sins for what they really were”.

Over the past few days, during his presentation of an international seminar dedicated to the fight against child abuse by priests due to take place at the Pontifical Gregorian University in February 2012, Scicluma used strong words to underline the fact that violence shown towards minors by clergymen constitutes “an abuse of spiritual power”. “Yes, it is true – adds the Maltese prelate – there is a specific difference between repeated abuse by a lay person and that carried out by a priest, on victims that expect to see in them the figure of the “good shepherd”. Scicluna’s face darkens and he looks saddened. “If a priest commits the abuse, the trauma caused to the victim is even deeper, the spiritual trust that existed is destroyed and a person’s faith is lost.”

We ask the “promoter of justice” whether the change in mentality that Benedict XVI has asked for, is taking root in the Church. “I believe – he says in a faint voice – that a change in mentality is only possible for those who have the courage to meet the victims of abuse, to welcome them and to listen to their stories. If this does not happen, one may have read up on every detail of the scandal, be fully prepared, but that person will not be able to fully comprehend the trauma that these immense sins cause. The reaction and anger expressed by the victims of priests is unlike that found in any other type of case, because it comes from deep within the soul”.

For this reason, reveals Scicluna, the bishops that will be participating in the seminar in February 2012 will need to have met with the victims of paedophile priests in their respective countries, prior to attending. “It is a traumatic experience that is life changing, as in my case. Thanks to God, to the strict laws that are in place and to the development of a new conscience, these cases have decreased dramatically compared to previous years. We need to continue to support the victims who have for so long been seen as “threats” to the good name of the Church, instead of being treated as individuals who have been wounded in their innermost soul. We need to welcome and help these victims ensuring above all that the traumatic experiences they have been through are not repeated”.