The Vatican Summit On Protection of Minors Ends, Abuse Victims Disappointed

Pope Francis delivers his closing address to the Vatican Summit
for Protection of Children on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019

Photo courtesy: Giuseppe Lami via cruxnow.com/

The Vatican summit on the protection of minors, from February 21 to 24, ended with the promise of 'decisively confront' the abuse, but actual clergy sex abuse victims expressed their frustrations and were doubtful about the Church's future actions. 

Pope Francis, in his final address to the participants of the summit, vowed to confront abusers with "the wrath of God' felt by the faithful, end the cover-ups by their superiors and prioritize the victims of this "brazen, aggressive and destructive evil," report the AP. 

The Pope said the sexual abuse of children happens in the family, but it becomes even more scandalous when it occurs in the Catholic Church, "for it is utterly incompatible with her moral authority and ethical credibility." 

For more on the summit, please read the following:

• Pope vows action on sex abuse, but victims disappointed with plan (Feb. 24, 2019)
• Francis ends Vatican summit with promise Church will 'decisively confront' abuse (Feb. 24, 2019)
• Address of His Holiness Pope Francis at the End of the Eucharistic Celebration [Pope's closing remarks] (Feb. 24, 2019)
• Pope Francis: Church will focus on 8 points in 'all-out battle' against abuse (Feb. 24, 2019)
• Pope Francis' Concluding Address to Participants of Vatican Summit on Child Protection (Feb. 24, 2019)
• Pope Francis' record on coverup challenged at final press conference for Vatican Sex Abuse Summit (Feb. 24, 2019)
• Campaigners furious after pope's 'defensive' speech on child abuse (Feb. 24, 2019)
• Survivors of Church Abuse Want Zero Tolerance, The Pope Offers Context (Feb. 24, 2019)
• 'All optics, no substance': Survivors react to Vatican abuse summit (Feb. 25, 2019)
• Analysis: Pope's sex abuse summit: What it did and didn't do (Feb. 25, 2019)
• Vatican abuse summit follow-up decides to hold more follow-ups (Feb. 25, 2019)
• Pope blames Church's sex abuse crisis on 'clericalism' in closing remarks at Vatican summit (Feb. 26, 2019)
• Cardinal decries Vatican silence on homosexuality at abuse summit [Cardinal Walter Brandmuller of Germany] (Feb. 27, 2019)

The Quotation of the Week (February 24 - 2 March, 2019)

Four-Day Vatican Summit On The Protection Of Minors Opens In The Vatican

Pope Francis speaks to the participants at the Vatican summit
on the 'protection of minors' at the Synod Hall on Feb. 21

Photo courtesy: Vatican Media, via CNA

Pope Francis, on February 21, opened the Vatican summit on the 'protection of minors' from Catholic clergy sex abuse, with more than 200 world bishops, cardinals, Vatican officials, priests, experts, and clergy sex abuse victims in attendance. Abuse victims came from the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. 

In his opening remarks, the pope gave a list of "21 talking points" for the participants that include "suggestions to have periodic reviews of protocols on safeguarding, handbooks of steps authorities should take in abuse cases, provisions for facilitating the participation of lay experts in investigations, and the direction to inform civil authorities and higher Church authorities in compliance with civil and canonical norms," reports the Catholic News Agency (CNA).

The summit will also deal with raising the minimum age of marriage for women from 14 to 16 years and make it universal in the Church, psychological evaluations of the seminarians for the priesthood, and proper penalties for priests or Religious who commit the abuse.

Some observers feel that the Vatican now is dealing with only one type of problem (clergy sex abuse of minors -- also known as pedophilia), but, in reality,  there are priests all over the world with other types of sex abuse problems, for example, bi-sexual priests (going after both men and women), heterosexual priests (going after women and nuns -- some priests even having illegal abortions done on their lovers, and others having secret children of their own), homosexual priests (going after men), and so on. These priests need to be dealt with, too, to have greater accountability and "sexual chastity" in the Church. Who, then, will bell the cat in the future? 

For more on the ongoing Vatican summit, you may read the following:

• Pope Proposes 21 'reflection points' for discussion at abuse summit (Feb. 21, 2019)
• Meeting on "The Protection of Minors in the Church" -- Reflection Points (Feb. 21, 2019)
• Pope warns Catholic leaders the faithful expect concrete action to end sexual abuse (Feb. 21, 2019)
• Pope promises change at first Vatican summit on sex abuse (Feb. 21, 2019)
• Pope Opens Meeting on Clerical Sex Abuse Under Great Pressure From Victims for Change (Feb. 21, 2019)
• First Vatican summit on child sex abuse (Feb. 21, 2019)
• Searing testimony heard at Vatican sex abuse summit (Feb. 21, 2019)
• Pope Francis presents action plan for tackling clerical sex abuse but victims dismiss it as inadequate (Feb. 21, 2019)
• Vatican Sexual Abuse Summit In Rome Hears From Survivors (Feb. 21, 2019)
• Pope Francis vows action on clergy sex abuse but US prosecutors say Church can't be trusted to police itself (Feb. 22, 2019)
• Distrust and anger shadow Vatican summit on sex abuse (Feb. 21, 2019)

The Quotation of the Week (February 17 - 23, 2019)

A quotation of Mother Teresa of Calcutta on 'smiling,'
compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Artwork (an indigenous girl of Canada) by Andrea Mary D'Costa (2018)

Father Francis Sunil Rosario Presents A Paper For National Consultation On Challenges and Crises In Indian Church

Father Francis Sunil Rosario 

Father Francis Sunil Rosario, a diocesan priest from the Archdiocese of Kolkata, now studying in the USA, made a video presentation of his paper for the February 9-11 National Consultation On Challenges and Crises in Indian Church being held at the Proggaloy Pastoral Centre of Kolkata, India. The title of his paper is "How Far the Laity Impacted the Governance Within the Church and In Their Leadership Role."

Initiated and managed by the Indian Catholic laypersons, this special consultation is dealing with the following topics: The Renewal of the Church According to Vatican II, The Current Political Scenario, The Role of the Media, Crisis Management and Leadership Skills, The Status of Women in the Church, and Youth Aspirations and Expectations.

Please click on the following to watch Father Rosario's video presentation:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XVQM1_eF6Tr7RTYt-to0CTPdvXSsGpks/view

To read his above-mentioned video presentation, you may click on the following:

• How far did the Laity impact the governance and leadership within the Catholic Church?
• The Role of the Social Media in the Catholic Church and Society (another paper presented for the same national consultation)

To know more on the consultation at the Proggaloy, you may read the following:

• National consultation to address challenges, crises in Indian Church (Jan. 28, 2019)

(Updated on Feb. 28, 2019)

The Quotation of the Week (February 10 - 16, 2019)

A quotation of Pia Savage on 'do what you love with your ability,'
compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Artwork by Ryan Andre D'Costa (2018)

The Quotation of the Week (February 3 - 9, 2019)

A quotation of Richard Giannone on
'Catholic Church's inability, or unwillingness,
or fear for dealing with the evolving society,'
compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Artwork © Jerome D'Costa

The Role Of The Laity In Today's Catholic Church

Image design © Jerome D'Costa (February 2019)

Isaac Gomes, an Associate Editor at the Church Citizens' Voice website of Kerala, India, in this write-up says that the laity (or laypersons who are Catholics but don't belong to the priesthood and Religious Orders) is an indispensable part and parcel of the Catholic Church. Their essential role in the Church has been confirmed by various documents of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). 

After this council, until now, the laity is still in the second position, they are still behind in the participation in various designated Church affairs. The members of the Church hierarchy (priests, bishops, cardinals, and pope), who are supposed to be servants (any Pope's official title is 'servus servorum Dei' -- servant of the servants of God) are still dominating them as masters not equal. This writer is, therefore, asking whether the laity needs to wait for another Vatican Council to fulfill the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. Only because of the presence of the laypersons, the hierarchy is able to be there -- no laypersons, no hierarchy. So, why not make the Second Vatican Council teachings a reality?

For more on this subject, you kindly click on the following: 

• The Indispensable Role of the Laity in the Church -- should we wait for Vatican III to give Laity its rightful place? (Dec. 24, 2018)
• The Essential Role of the Laity in the Catholic Church (A short Bengali-language version of the above-mentioned article)

Initiated by Catholic laypersons, a national consultation, called 'We too are Church,' will be held at the Proggaloy Pastoral Centre of Kolkata, India, on February 9-11. 

This consultation will attempt to implement "the far-reaching teachings" of the Second Vatican Council. Renowned speakers and participants will deal with topics like -- The Renewal of the Church According to Vatican II, The Current Political Scenario, The Role of the Media, Crisis Management and Leadership Skills, The Status of Women in the Church, and Youth Aspirations and Expectations.

To keep in touch with this effort, you may read the following:

• National consultation to address challenges, crises in Indian Church (Jan. 28, 2019)