This past week, Pope Francis made great strides in his effort to establish a Vatican office that will deal exclusively with clerical sexual abuse. Our Holy Father has created, within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, an office of “Delicta Graviora,” (meaning serious crimes which involve clergy). Specifically, this new office will have competence over discipline for clergy who have engaged in the sexual abuse of minors or who have used or distributed child pornography.
What is most interesting is the appointments of several American clergy on this commission. In these appointments, the Holy Father recognizes the strides that the Catholic Church in the U.S. has made to combat the evil of child sexual abuse. Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, who shepherded his hard-hit archdiocese by being an agent of healing and peace, will head this commission. Long Island-born Msgr. Robert Oliver, a member of the religious community, the Brotherhood of Hope, will serve full-time as the secretary of the commission.
By all accounts, Msgr. Oliver is one of the finest canon lawyers of his generation. Having assisting Cardinal O’Malley in Boston and working in the implementation of Church reforms in the prevention of the abuse of minors throughout the U.S., Msgr. Oliver most recently served as the promoter of justice at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. He is known to be a prayerful, humble, joyful priest who is dedicated to preventing abuse and being an agent of reform throughout the world.
Taking over Msgr. Oliver’s role of promoter of justice will be Jesuit Father Robert Geisinger. He is known throughout Rome as an excellent canon lawyer, for serving as a professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University and, above all else, as a zealous, caring priest.
These appointments demonstrate the trust that Pope Francis has in the efforts that the Church in the U.S. has struggled to accomplish in the protection of minors. No, the American Roman Catholic Church is not perfect. And yes, there is still so much work to do in this scourge that has caused so much hurt and pain throughout our nation. But we have tried hard to be open, attentive and transparent.
With these men in the forefront of this effort in the Church universal, we are in good hands. Join your prayers to ours for the victims of any form of sexual abuse, most especially those abused by a priest, deacon or church personnel. Join your prayers for our three Americans who will help to set the model for the Church’s response to this important issue.
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Praying for Synod’s Success
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Pope Francis will convoke the Synod on the Family at the Vatican Oct. 5-19 of this year. This will be an important gathering of bishops, priests, deacons, religious and laity, married and single, to discuss key issues of marriage and family life. This dialogue between people from around the world with our Holy Father will be essential for a true growth and understanding of the place of the family in contemporary society.
As part of this gathering, the pope is scheduled to beatify Venerable Pope Paul VI, who continued the work of St. John XXIII at the Second Vatican Council and who wrote the prescient encyclical, “Humanae Vitae.” Pope Paul was able to discern the signs of the times and promoted Catholic teaching in the face of much opposition. His basic contention, namely that a contraceptive mentality will lead to an abortive mentality, sadly proved true.
We urge all our readers to pray daily for the success of the Synod on the Family. Pray that our Holy Father and the delegates will be inspired by the Holy Spirit. The issues are not ones that can be easily resolved or treated lightly. Each day, say an extra Hail Mary for the Synod. This is an important event in Francis’ pontificate. Through the intercession of Venerable (and soon to be Blessed) Paul VI, may it be a moment of teaching and learning for all in the Church and in the world.
