Pope Francis sent a message to the anti-abuse conference with the mere presence of legal scholars Linda Ghisoni, Nigerian nun Veronica Openibo and Mexican TV journalist Valentina Alazraki. "The woman is the image of the church, which is itself a wife and mother," said the pontiff. All three women gave dedicated speeches that were received by the bishops and other male observers as "refreshing" and "unconventional."
The power of the "female mystery" was what the Pope called it - but emphasized in the same breath that there are no more offices for more women in the church: "Inviting a woman to a lecture does not mean that one practices church feminism, because after all, feminism ends up being machismo with rock. "
A typical Francis dropout
Chauvinism in a feminine robe? A typical Franciscan dropout, one might think. Remember the papal recommendation to give your child a "slap" or his criticism of "coprophilia" among journalists. Everything not meant that way. The pope is 82 years old and comes from Argentina. He is a great Marian devotee and probably knows his way around with machismo - his view of women is theologically, historically and culturally conditioned.
But with his words, the pontiff is jeopardizing the small advances that the church is making in its very own, very leisurely pace. The argument at the Abuse Conference has made it clear to the bishops that the scandal affects the entire universal Church, that is, it is global. As global as the women's problem in the Catholic Church, which prescribes celibacy for priests, knows no priestesses, and struggles with women in leadership positions.
Everything but quota women
This is unfortunate because the women who appeared at the Abuse Summit were anything but quota women and had pretty clear ideas about what to do. For example, the canon law expert Linda Ghisoni called for the bishops' responsibility to protect the priests from "lust for power, complacency and the exploitation of others". She recommended the establishment of independent commissions in the Episcopal Conferences, the church leaders should be on the abuse question with advice and support. Lay people should also belong to these groups.
The Mexican Vatican Valentina Alazraki made it absolutely clear that anyone who does not "radically put themselves on the side of the children" will become the accomplice of ecclesiastical sex offenders. "Then we journalists will be your worst enemies." Too often she had to listen to the media being responsible for the abuse scandal, occult powers wanted to destroy the church. The truth is, "The more you keep secret, the bigger the scandal will be."
Without total concealment, a scandal would not have been possible
Without the censorship prevailing in the church, without the total concealment, a scandal like that of the abuser and Mexican founder of the "Legion of Christ", Marcial Maciel, would never have been possible, said Alazraki. Maciel is said to have abused dozens of seminarians for decades.
Even the nun Veronica Openibo did not spare with criticism: "We have to admit that our mediocrity, hypocrisy and complacency have led us to this shameful and scandalous point at which we are as a church," she warned in the Synod Hall. "Too often we want to stay calm until the storm passes, this storm will not pass."
Even women in the church had committed abuse. This experience was made by Pier-Paolo Zaratta: The 49-year-old stands on Saturday in Piazza del Popolo in Rome and protests with representatives of the international network "Ending Clergy Abuse" - in priestly robes and with a half-naked doll in his arms.
RICCARDO ANTIMIANI / EPA-EFE / REX
Deaf Mute abuse survivor in Rome
At the age of six, Zaratta was reportedly abused by a nun in Verona's notorious deaf and dumb thing "Antonio Pravolo", followed shortly afterwards by two laymen, then by another ten priests until 1984. "Every day, all the years," he says. The local Deaf Mute Association (ENS) exposed the crimes. "Some of the suspects still live unmolested in Verona," says Association member Paola Lodi Rizzini.
Italy is bad at tackling the abuse problem in European comparison. But there is also resistance in Africa and Asia: Poverty and violent conflict should not be an excuse for not fighting sexual abuse, says Sister Openibo. "Our credibility is at stake."
When asked whether she felt taken by the Pope's statement that more women's posts would be a good thing, but would not solve the problem, Openibo smiles and says, "We go one step at a time and we are whole have come a long way. "
Matthias Katsch of the Affected Organization "Eckiger Tisch" sees the efforts of some bishops to improve: "But we survivors is running out of time."
THE MIRROR