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The summit on sexual abuse of the clergy opened Thursday, February 21 at the Vatican. A highly anticipated meeting attended by leaders of episcopal conferences around the world. It is about finding concrete solutions to the crisis that is shaking the Catholic Church. The works were inaugurated by Pope Francis who set the course for these four days of reflection.
From our correspondent in Rome , Eric Sénanque
The serious mine, François, surrounded by the organizers of this summit took the floor, thus inaugurating the meeting. The pontiff who has vowed that the evil of pedophilia is transformed " into an opportunity for awareness and purification ."
Francis did not hide the responsibility that weighed on the bishops, invited to Rome: " Faced with the scourge of sexual abuse perpetrated by members of the Church to the detriment of minors, I thought to challenge you to listen to the cry little ones who ask for justice. The Holy People of God is watching us, and expecting from us not simple and obvious condemnations, but concrete measures . "
After the introduction of the Pope, recorded testimonies of victims were then broadcast in the synod hall where all the bishops are gathered, before Cardinal Tagle, the Archbishop of Manila, speaks for the first intervention of this Mountain peak. A rather spiritual reflection on the evils that the Church is causing " How can we profess our faith in Christ when we close our eyes to all the wounds inflicted by abuse? Asked the Philippine archbishop who invited to approach these wounds and acknowledge the faults of the Church if her pastors want to give an authentic and credible testimony of their faith. The participants then met in small groups for more effective work.
Awareness in progress
Pope Francis knows that he is playing a part of his pontificate on this international meeting, an unprecedented meeting that he wanted by inviting presidents of episcopal conferences of the five continents, François who spends his time saying that we must make the bishops. He had invited all these bishops to meet at least once a victim of pedophilia before coming to Rome.
The Pope will participate in all the work of these four days, the first three days will each be devoted to a specific theme: the responsibility of the bishops first, the fact that they must be held accountable, and finally the question of transparency in the Church.
One of the great challenges of this summit will be to go beyond rhetoric and find binding solutions for the clergy involved to be truly accountable. One of the difficulties is related to the diversity of the Church, for cultural or social reasons, this drama of abuse of minors is not approached in the same way in Western countries as on the continents of Africa or Asia .