Belgium: the bishops’ ask victims of abuse for “pardon” In a letter to the faithful ensuing their ad Limina visit to the Vatican, Belgium’s bishops “ask pardon from all victims of sexual abuse, both for the aggression and for the inadequate treatment of it” – they write in the message issued May 19 -. “We also ask pardon from victims’ families and from society for the human consequences caused by this abuse. We convey our hope that the path of reconciliation will remain open”, they write. “The most important consideration must be the security and protection of children. On this point there can be no equivocation”, they said. “‘We recognise that church officials have not sufficiently taken into account the effect of sexual abuse on minors. With this silence the reputation of the ecclesiastical institution and of its ministers has taken precedence over the dignity of the young victims. ‘The abusers were given a fresh chance while the victims carried the scars that failed to heal”, said the prelates. The Bishops thanked the victims “for having found the courage to break the wall of silence by disclosing the crime they were victims of” and conveyed their “gratitude” to the members of the Commission on Sexual Abuse for their contribution to “building a culture of truth and justice”. “Those holding positions of responsibility within the Church”, for their part, are forced by “this crisis to face the problems, call them by their name, and address them with the co-operation of competent persons”. For this reason “we, as bishops, will take concrete measures, with the support of Benedict XVI, and will apply, where necessary, stricter selection criteria to the candidates to the priesthood and to positions of responsibility in the Church. We equally pledge to provide effective supervision and support to pastoral care workers. We will draft a deontological code for all those working with children and with vulnerable adults. The abuse issue – wrote the bishops in their letter – also affects the exercise of authority. Thus, the Church should undertake a conscience examination to change these forms of exercising authority that can lead to an abuse of power over children. This requires courage and humility, especially on the part of bishops and other leaders of the ecclesial community”. At the end of their letter, the bishops thanked all those who, “in the Church, work for a more humane and just world and contribute to the spreading of the Gospel”.Austria: the congress of parish councils Cardinal Schönborn, President of Austria’s Bishops’ Conference, positively evaluated the parish council congress held a few days ago in Mariazell. In a press conference held May 17 His Eminence illustrated the main themes addressed, which include the problems and the “experiences of liberation from the oppressing routine and the courage of new creative zeal in proclaiming the Gospel”. “The dialogue with the parish community councils continues”, Schönborn said, while “it is necessary to overcome the tension between universality and the local Churches, bringing unity in diversity. It is necessary to address the problems within local Churches leading to a confrontation with other local Churches”, he added. Schönborn said that participants in the Mariazell meeting acknowledged the need “to avoid that the increasing diaspora situation lead to isolation and renouncement”: it is a “major contribution of hope”, he added. “Indeed”, he continued, “in Austria there is a strong and “vital” ‘network of love for the other'”, represented by 3000 parish communities and served by 40 000 parish council members. England: a statue of the Holy Virgin for the Pope The “Our lady of the taper” statue, which the Catholics of Wales are very devoted to, will arrive in London for the Papal visit ( September 16-19) so the Pope may bless a candle and light it in the hands of the statue. The idea of bringing the statue to London from Cardigan was suggested to the Pope by the bishop of Menevia, Msgr. Tom Burns, during the ad limina visit at the beginning of February. “The bishop – states a note of the English bishops – told the Pope that the Catholics in Wales were disappointed by the fact that the Pope would not visit their Country, while acknowledging the busy agenda of the visit”. The delusion was alleviated by the decision to bring the statue before the Holy Father. “The encounter will be an honour for the Catholics in Wales and it will underscore the importance of Cardigan as a pilgrimage destination not only for the Catholics of Wales but also for those from other areas of Great Britain and the rest of the world”.
