The presidents of the 130 episcopal conferences around the world have received this letter from the Vatican. It asks them to meet with victims of abuse in preparation for the their meeting against abuse called by the pope.
From 21 to 24 February, Pope Francis will gather representatives of all the bishops to seek measures against abuses.
GREG BURKE
Vatican spokesperson
“Organizers are encouraging all the participants to meet with victim survivors before they come here in February. This is really to make sure that we put victims first; and also that everyone coming to this meeting realizes exactly the horror that has happened”
The letter also specifies the three main themes that the bishops will face during the February meeting.
GREG BURKE
Vatican spokesperson
“There are three main themes that were announced in the letter today those are: responsibility, accountability and transparency. Now those may sound like general themes but I think they're very important for anyone who's in a position of power or influence in the Church when dealing with the issue of abuse.”
The pope and the organizers with this letter have sent a clear message to all participants. The text explicitly states that they want them to come to the Vatican in February prepared and familiar with the reality of the victims. This is in order to be able to make critical and constructive decisions.
FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER
Dear Brothers in Christ,
“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it” (1 Cor 12:26). With these words Pope Francis began his Letter to the People of God (August 2018) in response to the abuse crisis facing the Church.
Those abused by clerics were also damaged when “We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them.” And so, “If, in the past, the response was one of omission, today we want solidarity, in the deepest and most challenging sense, to become our way of forging present and future history.”
Absent a comprehensive and communal response, not only will we fail to bring healing to victim survivors, but the very credibility of the Church to carry on the mission of Christ will be in jeopardy throughout the world.
The first step must be acknowledging the truth of what has happened. For this reason, we urge each episcopal conference president to reach out and visit with victim survivors of clergy sex abuse in your respective countries prior to the meeting in Rome, to learn first-hand the suffering that they have endured.
Additionally, we ask you to answer the questionnaire attached to this letter. It provides a tool for all the participants of the meeting in February to express their opinions constructively and critically as we move forward, to identify where help is needed to bring about reforms now and in the future, and to help us get a full picture of the situation in the Church.
With this in mind, the Holy Father has asked us to thank you for your support in completing the attached questionnaire to better prepare for the meeting, and to urgently invite you to take up this road together.
The Holy Father is convinced that through collegial cooperation, the challenges facing the Church can be met. But each of us needs to own this challenge, coming together in solidarity, humility, and penitence to repair the damage done, sharing a common commitment to transparency, and holding everyone in the Church accountable.
Please note that we would be grateful to have your responses as soon as possible, but no later than January 15.
God bless in this Advent season,
Cardinal Blase J. Cupich
Cardinal Oswald Gracias
Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna
Fr. Hans Zollner SJ
