SAFEGUARDING SAFEGUARDING PERSPECTIVES

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BEATUS POPULUS, CUIUS DOMINUS DEUS EIUS

Copyright, 2018, Union of Catholic Asian Editor-in-chief News ANTONIO SPADARO, SJ

All rights reserved. Except for any fair Editorial Board dealing permitted under the Hong Kong Antonio Spadaro, SJ – Director Copyright , no part of this Giancarlo Pani, SJ – Vice-Director publication may be reproduced by any Domenico Ronchitelli, SJ – Senior Editor means without prior permission. Inquiries Giovanni Cucci, SJ, Diego Fares, SJ should be made to the publisher. Francesco Occhetta, SJ, Giovanni Sale, SJ

Title: Francis: Fraternal and Spontaneous Contributors Hans Zollner, SJ ISBN: Giovanni Cucci, SJ 978-988-79387-0-5 (ebook) Antonio Spadaro, SJ 978-988-79387-1-2 (kindle) Katharina A. Fuchs Diego Fares, SJ Published in Hong Kong by Federico Lombardi, SJ UCAN Services Ltd. Publishers: Michael Kelly, SJ and P.O. Box 69626, Kwun Tong, Robert Barber Hong Kong Production Manager: Phone: +852 2727 2018 Rangsan Panpairee Fax: +852 2772 7656 Grithanai Napasrapiwong www.ucanews.com CONTENTS i Introduction Antonio Spadaro, SJ

1 The Pedophile Problem La Civiltà Cattolica

11 Psychological Observations on the Pedophilia Problem Giovanni Cucci, SJ – Hans Zollner, SJ

25 Combating the Culture of Pedophilia Giovanni Cucci, SJ – Hans Zollner, SJ

39 Protecting Children in the Hans Zollner, SJ

48 The Spiritual Wounds of Hans Zollner, SJ

59 Francis and the Abuse Scandal in Chile Letters to the and to the holy faithful People of God Diego Fares, SJ

71 Preparing the Meeting of Bishops on the Protection of Minors Federico Lombardi, SJ

88 Child Protection: From awareness to engagement Federico Lombardi, SJ

103 Toward Healing and Renewal: A symposium on the sexual abuse of minors Hans Zollner, SJ

115 The Dignity of Minors in the Digital World An international congress at the Gregorian University Hans Zollner, SJ – Katharina A. Fuchs

121 Declaration of Child Dignity in the Digital World, October 2017 INTRODUCTION

Preparations are underway for a meeting of presidents of episcopal conferences on the subject of safeguarding children. Convoked by the pope, it will take place February 21-24, 2019. This volume shows how much has been done to confront the problem during the last two pontificates, with the renewal of canonical norms, the formulation of guidelines by episcopal conferences, the development of formation projects and other initiatives, and also some significant recent letters by . It also enumerates a series of key issues the meeting will have to confront. “The greatest desolation that the Church is suffering.” This is i how Pope Francis defined the sexual abuse scandal when he met privately with Jesuits in Peru in January 2018. He went on to state that “abuse is always the fruit of a mentality tied to power; it has to be healed in its malicious roots.” In Chile, he invited priests and religious “not to dwell in disheartenment” but to “ask God to grant us the clear-sightedness to call reality by its name.” This volume of our Perspectives series wants to show the commitment of La Civiltà Cattolica to addressing abuse. We do so by choosing nine articles written over the last years that look at the topic from different perspectives and examine different aspects of the problem. Awareness has grown with time. We begin with an editorial that appeared in 2002, that is, 17 years ago. Today, we would write it differently. Even the articles dating from 2010 to 2012 respond to a different understanding from what we have now. When I recently told these authors of my intention to prepare a special edition on abuse for our Italian Accènti series, they shared with me that today they would be even more careful in using the word “pedophile” as they know that, in the strict sense, it concerns only abuse on prepubescent children. It is only a small but very dramatic part of the much wider problem of sexual abuse of minors. Words are sometimes used without necessary attention, but our journal wants to witness to a commitment and also a growth in awareness by the Church.

* * * INTRODUCTION What did the 2002 editorial say? Above all it described the nature of pedophilia and the people who carry out these acts. It speaks of the motivations behind the wall of silence that is created around pedophile acts and how the silence can be overcome. Trying to quantify the extent of the phenomenon, the editorial looked at sexual tourism and the spread of pedophilia via the internet and, in those times, the use of videocassettes. It gave space to the physical and psychological trauma that pedophile actions inflict on children. Finally, it stated the grave duty of all society to combat pedophilia rigorously and efficaciously, referring even to cases involving priests and religious. In this special issue we also present some aspects of the topic in articles written by Hans Zollner and Giovanni Cucci. ii Both teach psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and Fr. Zollner is also the director of the university’s “Centre for Child Protection,” which focuses on prevention. He has been a member of the for the Protection of Minors since its creation in 2014. Within that body he coordinates a working group on education and formation of Church personnel. Fr. Cucci, besides being a writer at La Civiltà Cattolica, is the reference person for the Euro-Mediterranean Province of the Jesuits for cases of abuse. The first aspect they looked at in 2010 was the phenomenon of sexual abuse perpetrated on minors by members of the clergy of the Catholic Church, particularly in Ireland and . The exposure of these cases was followed by an important pastoral letter from Benedict XVI. The article treats the theme from a psycho-social perspective, based on the scientific knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon that was then available. It is important that the Church be aware just how serious the events that occurred were, and seek not only to punish those who committed these crimes, but also ask itself how to form healthy priests. Then they offered a contribution that looks at some significant elements that characterized the particular context of the debates around the topic at that time: The strange silence about the problem among educators, researchers, psychologists, as well as the presence of a “culture” around pedophilia. There is also a complaint about the general failure by society as a whole to perceive the gravity of the phenomenon. Subsequently, there is a focus on the protection of children in the Catholic Church with an attention to the different contexts around the world. The starting point comes in some questions from Pope Francis in a preface he wrote for a book whose author is a victim of sexual abuse: “How can a priest, in the service of Christ and his Church, come to cause such evil? How can one who has consecrated his life to leading the little ones to God, end up instead devouring them in what I have called ‘a diabolical sacrifice’ that destroys both the victims and the life of the Church?” iii The final aspect examined is tied to the fact that, besides the deep wounds inflicted on the body and psyche of the victims of sexual abuse, there is also a spiritual trauma for these people. Abuse that is carried out by priests or religious who “represent God” obscures the very image of God in the victim. This implication is more or less possible in the same form for all religious confessions, but in the Catholic Church it has taken on particular connotations. In this sense, what can be particularly traumatic is the attempt to silence the facts, or to be a Church unwilling to listen to victims. For many, what is compromised or even interrupted is the possibility of trusting or believing in God.

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A second part of the volume carries two recent articles that demonstrate the supreme importance the current pontiff has chosen to give to this issue, which is a scourge on the entire holy people of God. We offer an article by Fr. Diego Fares, who has a particular affinity with the Holy Father’s pastoral and spiritual vision. He looks closely at the explosive situation in Chile and how the Holy Father chose to walk with the Church in a synodal and pastoral way, being sufficiently courageous to admit his errors and beg forgiveness, and trusting in the mercy of God to set out on a future path. That approach is purposefully open-ended. Next we provide Fr. Federico Lombardi’s overview of the entire situation in preparation for the February meeting convoked by Pope Francis, including a presentation of the legal instruments put in place by recent . He looks at the lessons of earlier failures – including the cases of , Fernando Karadima and Theodore McCarrick – and then enumerates some issues that require further consideration, including responsibility, the need for the entire Church to be engaged on the issue, to be on the side of truth, justice and the small and weak. In this context, we can draw attention to the letters of Francis to the people of God (August 20, 2018), to the pilgrim people of God in Chile (May 31, 2018) and most recently to the Bishops of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (January 1, 2019). iv

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A third part of the volume gives an account of two important symposia that took place at the Gregorian University in 2012 and 2017. The first, titled “Toward Healing and Renewal,” aimed to spread awareness about what the Church is doing to face up to the scandals of the past and those of today, and to set out appropriate strategies of prevention. The symposium was considered a turning point in the understanding of the topic in the Catholic Church as it brought together representatives of episcopal conferences from the entire world and many superiors general. It raised awareness of the issue to a new level. Nine keynote lectures were given by psychiatrists and experts in priestly formation. The second was dedicated to “The Dignity of Minors in the Digital World,” which is another important aspect of the continually spreading problem of sexual abuse of children and adolescents. Currently there are 4.2 billion internet users, almost a quarter of them minors. The Internet offers enormous opportunities, but it brings great risks for the integrity and dignity of the person, especially for children, who do not have the resources to defend themselves. Thus young people are threatened by new forms of abuse, which are dangerous for their mental, emotional and spiritual development. We ask, then, how to prevent such damage. At the end of the congress, the participants drew up the “Declaration of Rome,” a text of 13 points that governments, internet businesses, international institutions, the academic world and religions are called to work on decisively and collaboratively for the sake of the protection of minors on the internet.

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The fight against sexual abuse will last for a long time. There is a need, then, to say goodbye to the illusion that the simple introduction of rules and guidelines is the solution. It requires a radical conversion and a decisive attitude to bring justice to v the victims. Certainly, nobody is able to defeat evil definitively, not even abuse of minors – that would be a fatal presumption – but much can be done to reduce the risk of it occurring and to improve prevention and safeguarding. We offer this volume to readers who wish to better understand the phenomenon of sexual abuse and its psychological and spiritual aspects. Ours is a small contribution, but it shows the commitment of La Civiltà Cattolica in an area that demands the presence of the Church and society.

Antonio Spadaro, SJ Editor-in-Chief of La Civiltà Cattolica The Pedophile Problem

La Civiltà Cattolica

In recent years the sex abuse challenge has deeply disturbed the consciences of many. This social ill has always existed and its victims are countless. Alas, too often it had been hidden under a veil of almost impenetrable silence. Both public opinion and penal legislation had not given it due attention for various reasons: 1 in general, children were not given much consideration; it was thought that it would be impossible to prove the crime in courts due to the aura of shameful secrecy and silence surrounding it, with social discrediting of those who have committed it, especially considering the common opinion that the young and vulnerable who are victims of abuse are not credible and have possibly invented everything or are just giving a pedophile interpretation to acts that were mere, if excessive, expressions of affection. Silence weighed down especially on the sexual abuse perpetrated on children in the family home. Progressively, over recent decades this veil of silence has been removed. The abuse phenomenon has come to light with all its drama thanks to the brave victims who have been able to speak. For example, ’s National Listening Center, which abused children can approach, and also the female divisions of the police, and the children’s tribunals. It has also become more visible with the spread of sex tourism and the trading of children online.

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The problem of sex abuse has received further attention as a result of the crimes committed by priests and religious, which have deeply wounded the Church, putting into doubt its LA CIVILTÀ CATTOLICA

credibility, disturbing the trust of many Catholics and causing very serious damage to the Church. In many countries the Church has reacted with great clarity and severity. This journal has reported on these painful facts various times. Our task here is not to repeat the things that have already been said. We wish instead to look at the problem of sex abuse in itself – its nature, the damage it causes to the victims, and the ways of preventing it – with the aim of safeguarding, in a small way, the weakest subjects in society: children and vulnerable adults. We should recall many victims are children, the Children of God. They are the most dear to him and the first of his kingdom, and God doesn’t want a single one of them to be lost (Matt 18:14). We should recall too the words of Jesus about 2 those who abuse: “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt 18:6).

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The term “pedophile” refers to a particular sexual attraction to pre-pubescent children, be they male or more often female. It can be expressed through a wide variety of sexual practices. The sexual attraction can be exclusive or non-exclusive; it can be for small children, even newborns, or pre-adolescents. Some people express their sexual attraction through an unhealthy, excessively captivating relationship with children, for example giving them lots of attention and gifts: they are happy to abandon themselves to erotic fantasies while watching children. Other people create strong affective ties with children, without erotic acts, but with intense and insistent gazing. Others are not satisfied by affective bonds, but also carry out acts that are clearly erotic, even violent, either showing children their genitals, or stripping them naked, caressing them or showing them pornographic films or photos. Sometimes pedophilia takes on the form of a game: the adult tells a child a story and gets the child to be a part of it so that the child cannot say that the sexual game is not enjoyable. This way the child becomes an accomplice and so “guilty,” and the THE PEDOPHILE PROBLEM adult can more easily impose on the child not to speak about what happened. Almost always silence is imposed on the child with the threat of serious punishment if the child should speak. In the most serious form, the pedophile person attacks children violently, forcing them into different types of sexual relations. Even in these cases of extreme violence, which cause not only psychic damage but also physical damage, like wounds to the genitals or burns, the children are threatened with serious punishment if they don’t remain silent. We must note that the imposition of silence on children is so strong that they are unable to speak. This is because of the fear of the threatened punishment, the shame of speaking of “ugly things,” or because they feel that they have not known how to refuse it or have enjoyed it, or because they have been satisfying their own 3 curiosity. Sometimes children won’t speak because they cannot find the words to describe what has happened, or because they are scared of not being believed, or even because they believe that what has occurred is normal and happens to all children.

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Just as there are various deeds that go under the name of pedophilia, so too the people who are guilty of such acts differ between each other. We cannot speak of a “typical pedophile.” In fact, a pedophile cannot be distinguished from other people. He could be married with children. She might live an ordinary life and be admired in her community. He might have a position of authority and trust. She might be of any social class, have any kind of job (even if there’ll be a preference for a job that gives access to children) and can start engaging in pedophile acts at any moment of her life. Even if the great majority of pedophiles are men, there are also women pedophiles: this phenomenon, however, is less clear and can stay hidden as women have a more natural access to a child’s body, especially that of a small child; this also involves serious consequences for the child. It can also happen – especially in cases of incest – that women become the passive accomplices of actions carried out by their partners. In fact, when incest takes LA CIVILTÀ CATTOLICA

place by a father on his daughter, the mother often closes an eye on the father-daughter relationship that she knows about or – even worse – that she favors and encourages in order to maintain the family united or not to create scandal in the community, or again not to have to suffer herself the violence of her husband. The incestuous relationship between father and daughter comes about, generally, because the sexual relationship of the couple is unsatisfying and the husband seeks in the daughter a sexual and affective satisfaction that his wife is unable to give him. The wife is aware of her inability to satisfy her husband: this leads her to favor the incestuous relationship, for fear of losing her husband or breaking up her family. You do not have to be an adult to be a pedophile: adolescents, 4 especially those who have been abused in their own childhood, can commit acts of pedophilia and damage smaller children. In particular, an adolescent who has been abused by his own father tends to reproduce the abuse suffered – by “pedophile reaction” – with other younger children.

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While a “typical pedophile” does not exist, a “typology of pedophiles” can be drawn up. The main characteristic of a pedophile personality is affective and sexual immaturity. A pedophile has been unable to develop, for various reasons, a sexual and affective maturity, and so tends to feel undervalued, humiliated and belittled in his or her ability to face an adult person who is affectively and sexually mature. The pedophile fears being unable to live out his or her own sexuality with an adult person and of being ridiculed. So they turn to children who won’t ridicule them or be their rivals, or show their superiority. In fact, with a child a pedophile person can satisfy his or her own need to dominate: a need that can even extend to subjecting the child to sadist behavior, so as to cause cruel suffering that can even result in death. The terrible fact is that for some pedophiles the child is a pure object to satisfy their own sadist impulses without their having any perception of the child’s suffering. THE PEDOPHILE PROBLEM

Obviously, most pedophiles, for whom the child or adolescent is someone close and known, do not reach this level of criminal act; they seek rather a friendly relationship. Most of these cases are people who are “neurotic,” who are aware of the immorality of their behavior toward the child and so bring about the act under a form of caressing or feeling, or with the use of pornographic material that they show to children. Such people, if discovered, feel a strong sense of guilt and shame for corrupting their own image in their professional or family environment. But there are also pedophiles with “perverted” personalities, whose actions, dominated uniquely by the “law of desire,” are extremely violent and can have even lethal consequences for the victim. Very often these are people with a twofold personality: on one side they can have moral stances that are quite rigid, and 5 this can lead to doubting the truthfulness of the accusations of pedophilia made against them; on the other, they are capable of extremely violent and cruel acts of pedophilia, without feeling any guilt or suffering. Generally, they are unable to recognize the gravity of their own actions. These people with a “twofold personality” can be very intelligent and well inserted into their social sphere where they are held in high esteem. Sometimes they are part of networks for pedophiles or child prostitution. Finally, there are “psychopathic” pedophiles: these are generally people of a low intellectual level. They are violent and unstable, strongly dominated by their own sexual impulses, and associate their sexual violence with other types of violence and criminality. Their aim is not so much immediate sexual enjoyment but the pleasure of terrorizing victims. These psychopathic pedophiles are characterized by an absolute coldness and they feel no sense of guilt. So-called “serial killers,” who mostly engage in sexual crime, often belong to this type of pedophile.

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A wall of silence has often been created – and often still is created – around cases of pedophilia. This is either because the people involved are not interested in speaking or are scared of speaking due to the serious consequences that can follow. Those LA CIVILTÀ CATTOLICA

most interested in talking should be the children; but they speak only with difficulty due to the threats made by their aggressors, and also – as in the case of pedophilia within the family – due to the child having affective bonds with the aggressor and wishing to do no harm, and also due to the fact that they don’t know how to express themselves. Or finally, because they are afraid they won’t be believed. The aggressor obviously has no interest in being spoken about, as silence is the means to maintain power over the child and a good name in the workplace. As regards the parents, they might not understand what the child is expressing with words that are not always clear, with strange behavior, such as sadness, silence, crying without any apparent reason; with a lack of interest in playing, with some 6 physical difficulties such as stomachaches and headaches; with sudden changes of humor, underperforming at school, nightmares, insomnia; with excessive agitation; with a provocative language; with sexual allusions and expressions inappropriate for their age; with aggression toward other children. Then when parents come to know that their children have been subjected to pedophile acts, they might not intervene so as not to further traumatize the child, or because they think that the child will simply forget what has happened. They are scared of the judgement of other people and do not want to engage on a judicial process that is uncertain in its outcome and that might be psychologically devastating for the child, who has to repeat several times in the process the horrible facts of which he or she has been the victim.

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It is not possible to quantify even approximately the pedophile problem. However, some recent reports for example Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse states the number of pedophile priests in that country to be between 4 and 6 percent.1 What can also be said is that it is widespread and

1.https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/ THE PEDOPHILE PROBLEM only a small part of the sexual abuse committed on minors comes to light and an even smaller portion is subject to judicial intervention. Some facts are certain: pedophilia is suffered by girls more than boys; the age of the children who are subjected to pedophile acts are mostly between 6 and 12; in cases of incest, fathers are implicated more than mothers. Sexual tourism has been widespread. People from all walks of life are involved, with no exceptions. There are reports of specialist travel agencies, tied to agencies in the lands where tourists are heading. Mostly, the journeys of the sex tourist start from Europe (Italy and Germany above all), from North America and Japan. The agencies take in the tourists, put them up in hotels or small residences and bring them boys or girls to engage in all 7 the sordid impulses they want, including the most cruel and even lethal2. If we remember that many of these sex tourists are married men with children of their own at home, we are filled with a sense of horror and shame. Anyhow, what is certain is the terrible damage that sexual abuse causes to the children. Along with the physical damage done in some instances there is also the often long enduring psychological drama: they feel “dirty” and “contaminated” even unable to purify themselves; they feel “invaded,” so much so that they are unable to think about anything else. They feel guilty about not having known how to say “no,” of not being able to oppose violence when they could have done so. These are long-lasting traumas: even when they are old enough for amorous and sexual relations, they struggle to live their own sexuality normally and happily. For years after they feel dirty, belittled, unworthy. Moreover, the violence suffered in infancy can push them to be aggressive in turn to other children; girls tend to stay away from boys, taking refuge in same sex encounters or even becoming prostitutes out of hatred for themselves. Alongside the psychiatric problems there are also physical traumas, for pedophile acts can cause serious wounds and

2.Editor’s note: These activities are now closely policed and offenders charged by their own countries. LA CIVILTÀ CATTOLICA

injuries that can be infected and have chronic consequences. Pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases can ensue. Not all of the trauma suffered will be seen in infancy, even if it is difficult for abused children not to show signs of being unwell. Often violence that was suffered in childhood and kept hidden becomes clear in puberty when sexual maturity brings out memories that are expressed with signs of ill health, like depression, anorexia and bulimia, school truancy, drug and alcohol dependency, even attempted suicide.

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Combatting pedophilia is a serious duty for society as 8 children are the most fragile and undefended part of society. They need to be protected more than any other social group. Rightly, then, many nations – alas not all – have adopted severe laws against child sexual abuse both in the family home and beyond, following the International Convention on the Rights of Children, approved in New York, November 20, 1989. It cannot be said, however, that the laws against pedophilia have had a notable impact. This is partially due to the difficulty in identifying pedophiles because of the wall of silence that is created around them, and also the massive financial interests involved at the international level with child prostitution. Indeed, it is known that forms of pedophilia are growing, both due to the gradual relaxing of social mores, and due to the possibilities opened up to pedophiles with the new media, particularly with pedo-pornographic videos and the internet. Laws can help fight pedophilia, but alone they will not suffice; it is difficult to catch pedophiles who know how to build a wall of silence around their ignoble enterprises and who can obtain as much pedo-pornographic material and the children they need for their ignoble enterprises from instruments like the internet and videos. This is a huge market sometimes able to evade all control and satisfy many tastes, including the most sadistic and deprived. The anti-pedophile laws are unable to intervene efficaciously. The fact is that the pedo-pornophile market on the internet and in other media is very lucrative THE PEDOPHILE PROBLEM and organized by people and groups who are very wealthy and use that wealth both to produce and commercialize pedo- pornographic material, and to corrupt those who should be fighting it, making sure that the results of the international legal battle against pedophilia are actually quite limited. So pedophilia might better be fought by prevention. Parents and educators should inform boys and girls – in ways and levels that they can understand – of the grave dangers they might face, accepting presents, gestures of affection and invitations to the homes of adults they do not know (but sadly the pedophiles are actually people they do know: parents, neighbors and family friends or people seemingly beyond suspicion and totally trustworthy). They must be careful of all the strange signs and ill health that their children might show both at home and at 9 school, and in contact with other people, helping them to speak. This is not easy, for children either do not know how to express themselves or may tend to close in on themselves in silence. On the other hand, such signs are difficult to interpret and can be attributed to the normal mood swings and caprices of children. It can happen that suspicion arises about some people for their way of behaving with children. You have to be careful not to suspect someone too easily, for defamation can gravely hurt an innocent person and a slur cast upon them that cannot be removed; but when there are certain proofs of unhealthy behavior of some people with children, or worse still, when precise acts of pedophilia are known, it is a grave duty – being a crime punishable by law – to denounce those people to the authorities with the appropriate level of oversight. If there are serious and well-based suspicions about a priest – this is something even more atrocious as it concerns consecrated persons who have the trust of parents and children – then the or religious superior should be informed immediately so that they can ascertain the facts and make the necessary provisions with utmost care, in the first place removing the priest or religious from the places where they have contact with children or young people. If there is certainty that the priest or religious is guilty of pedophile acts, the provisions to be taken in their regard must be rigorous. The bishops of the United LA CIVILTÀ CATTOLICA

States and Australia, among other Church jurisdictions, decided that those who are guilty should ask to be dispensed from the obligations deriving from sacred orders and lose their clerical status, or that they should be dismissed from the clerical state. When it is not possible to apply the punishment of dismissal, for reasons of age or infirmity, or the statute of limitations has expired the guilty should be led to lead a life of prayer and penitence; they will not be allowed to celebrate mass in public, nor to wear clerical clothes or present themselves publicly as priests. In every case, the wellbeing of the victim must prevail over every other consideration. As far as the formation of future priests is concerned, the last three popes have declared that “there is no room in the priesthood or in religious life for those who 10 would harm children.” Actually, to fight pedophilia effectively a reaction is needed, almost a jolt in the general conscience, and a recovery of moral sense, which, despite all, has not been extinguished in most people today. Can we expect this to occur? It is a duty for all to make sure it happens for the good and the happiness of children. Psychological Observations on the Pedophilia Problem1

Giovanni Cucci, SJ – Hans Zollner, SJ

Recently, newspapers have given wide coverage to cases of sexual abuse perpetrated on minors by members of the clergy of the Catholic Church, especially in Ireland and Germany. Following these events, Pope Benedict XVI wrote a pastoral letter to the Catholics of Ireland.2 On several occasions, our magazine 11 has already dealt with this age-old problem.3 However, due to the gravity of the matter and its recent dreadful reappearance, this time we wish to develop our approach especially from psychological and social points of view.

Psychological characteristics of pedophilia The study of pedophilia has identified several elements that align it with what psychologists have called “perversions,” “deviancies” and “paraphilias.” These terms indicate a disturbance in the process of sexual arousal, which only takes place in very specific conditions, such as looking at objects and garments (fetishism), wearing clothes of the opposite sex (transvestitism), watching sexual intercourse engaged in by others (voyeurism), exposing oneself (exhibitionism), inflicting humiliation and violence, even leading to the death of the partner (sadism, rape), or finally harassing, inflicting violence, or having sexual relations

1.This article was originally published in La Civiltà Cattolica, Q 3837, p. 211-222, I May 2010. 2.Cf. Benedict XVI, Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland, in w2.vatican.va. 3.Cf. G. Ghirlanda, “Doveri e diritti implicati nei casi di abusi perpetrati da chierici,” in Civ. Catt. 2002 II 341-353; G. Marchesi, “La Chiesa cattolica negli Stati Uniti scossa dallo scandalo della pedofilia,” Civ. Catt., 2002 II 477-486; “Il problema della pedofilia,” Civ. Catt., 2002 IV 107-116; G. Marchesi, “L’impegno della Chiesa degli Stati Uniti contro gli abusi sessuali sui minori,” Civ. Catt., 2003 I 169-178. GIOVANNI CUCCI, SJ – HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

with children or adolescents (pedophilia, ephebophilia). The fourth revised edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), published in the year 2000 by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), following the previous editions of 1994 and 1987 (DSM-IV, DSM-III-R), omits the terms “perversion” and “deviation,” because these terms are considered to be judgmental and moralistic, and therefore “non-scientific.” It only retains the term “paraphilia.” The same evaluation standards underpin the 10th edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10), published in Geneva in 1992. Paraphilias are classified as “clinical” disturbances (the so- called Axis I disorders), where this term refers to “disorders 12 that are first diagnosed in infancy, childhood or adolescence.”4 They significantly affect the general psychic dynamics of the individual, including psychoses such as schizophrenia, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, dissociation, substance abuse and dementia. Pedophilia in particular is defined in terms of a specific sexual activity or sexual fantasy targeting children younger than 13 years over a period of at least 6 months, performed by a person age 16 or older: “The pattern of behavior is usually chronic, especially in those attracted to males. The recidivism rate in subjects with pedophilia involving a preference for males is about twice that of those who prefer females.”5 About 60 percent of the victims are male. Pedophilia is related to other characteristics of paraphilias, such as exhibitionism, voyeurism, sexual violence and alcohol abuse.6

4.American Psychological Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) Washington, A.P.A., 2000, 13. 5.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), 2000, [F.65.4], 610f. World Health Organization, The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders, Geneva, Author, 1992, [302.2]. 6.Cf. H. Kaplan - B. Sadock, Psichiatria. Manuale di scienze del comportamento e psichiatria clinica, vol. I, Turin, Centro Scientifico Internazionale, 2001, 704. G. Abel - M. Mittleman - J. Becker, “Sexual Offenders: Results of assessment and recommendations for treatment,” in H. Ben-Aron - S. Hucker - C. Webster (eds), Clinical criminology: The Assessment and Treatment of Criminal Behavior, Toronto, Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, 1985, 191-205; R. Lanvegin - P. Fedroff, Report to the Ontario Mental Health Foundation: A 25-year follow up study of sex offender recidivism, PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE PEDOPHILIA PROBLEM

From a general psychodynamic point of view, an important element is a relevant lack of peer relationships: pedophiles are attracted to younger people because they are weaker and more submissive. This behavior reveals their sense of inferiority: “The strongest sign of psychological health is the existence of intimate and satisfying peer relationships.”7 Even a person’s way of “loving” (a constant refrain to justify this behavior) lacks the qualities of mature love and affection, such as respect, non-possessiveness and recognition of the uniqueness of the other. The truth is that the pedophile “does not care about the child, but only in having power over the child. As the child grows into an adult, the ‘love’ ceases, for the person is comfortable only with children, over whom power can be exercised.”8 13 Therefore, the problem is not due to the amount of time spent with children, or to the fact of having a genuine interest in them; this is required of parents, teachers, sports coaches, community animators and priests in order to carry out educational, professional or pastoral tasks. This interest becomes a concern when the adult does not have other relationships, and especially if he feels uncomfortable and isolated among adults, which points to an inner life whose interests and inclinations lie elsewhere: “A discerning question to ask is: ‘With whom do you spend your time off and vacations?’ Pedophiles and ephebophiles are likely to spend their free time with minors. Healthy adults spend their free time with other adults... During the psychological assessments to identify sexual abusers of children, I ask subjects who their closest friend is. Not uncommonly, they mention a minor. Similarly, I may ask what personal relationships have been most meaningful for them. Again, some speak of their relationships with minors”; this difficulty is often accompanied

Phase I, 2000; D. Paitich - R. Lanveging et al, “The Clarke SHQ: A clinical sex history questionnaire,” in Archives of Sexual Behavior, 6 (1977) 421-436. 7.S. Rossetti, “Some Red Flags for Child Sexual Abuse,” in Human Development 15 (1994) No. 4, 8. 8.R. Hanson, “Prognosis. How Can Relapse Be Avoided - Discussion,” in K. Hanson - F. Pfäfflin - M. Lütz (eds), Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church. Scientific and Legal Perspectives, , Libr. Ed. Vaticana, 2004, 149. GIOVANNI CUCCI, SJ – HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

by a personality that is passive, closed, dependent, falsely docile and submissive, but in reality preoccupied with pleasing superiors and keeping their own insecurity hidden.9 Another important diagnostic sign consists in antisocial behavior, tending to violence, and a precocious sexuality, especially during one’s growth years. This is manifested in the manner of speaking, imagination and relationships with others. Those who have suffered abuse tend, unconsciously for the most part, to behave seductively. Often this is the only way they know to relate with others and get attention: “There is a common conviction that sexualized behavior in children may be a warning sign, predicting future abusive behavior. By inappropriate or sexualized behavior, we mean sexual relationships with toys or 14 animals, fixation on sexual matters, compulsive masturbation and an unhealthy interest in sexual activity.”10 Such hyper- sexuality unfortunately emerges at the expense of emotions, which remain in hibernation, thus making it difficult to develop a non-sexualized relationship that is characterized by intimacy, tenderness and self-giving. This happens when sex becomes the only means to express oneself and communicate.

The personality of the pedophile It is very difficult to offer a precise outline of the pedophile’s specific personality, since abusers rarely reveal their inner tendencies and ways of thinking. It must likewise be said that many cases of violence remain secret and undisclosed, because of the feelings of shame, or fear for the consequences. According to the most recent research, most abusers are male. According to data from Censis, in Italy most abuse (84-90 percent) takes place within the family, of which 27 percent is perpetrated by a

9.S. Rossetti, “Some Red Flags for Child Sexual Abuse,” op. cit., 7-8 and 10. 10.A. Salvatori - S. Salvatori, L’abuso sessuale al minore e il danno psichico. Il vero e il falso secondo la rassegna della letteratura internazionale, Milan, Giuffrè, 2001, 187. Cf. R. Lusk - J. Waterman, “Effects of sexual abuse on children,” in K. MacFarlane - J. Waterman (eds), Sexual abuse of young children, New York, Guilford, 1986, 15-29; A. Salter, Treating child sexual offenders and their victims: a practical guide, Beverly Hills, Sage, 1988; J. Wright (ed.), Child sexual abuse within the family: assessment and treatment, New York, Guilford, 1988. PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE PEDOPHILIA PROBLEM close family member: it is therefore a question of incest.11 The research also indicates that sexual abuse complaints concern pedophilia in 30 percent of the cases, ephebophilia in 30 percent of the cases, while the rest are adult victims.12 Research carried out by Seympur and Hilda Parker on a group of 54 incestuous fathers (28 were biological fathers and 26 stepfathers), compared with a group of non-abusive fathers, shows some common features in the personality of abusers. For example, the abusers had problematic relationships with their own parents (in terms of distance, absence, violence or abuse), and a lack of affective attachment, understood as a lack of physical contact with their own children, poor relationships, especially with adults, alcoholism or drug abuse: “There is evidence to suggest that child abusers may differ from non-abusers in how 15 they perceive their children... Specifically, studies have found that abusive parents tend to ascribe greater negative intentionality to their children’s behavior than do normal parents, even when the behavior is within normal developmental parameters. Similarly, other studies have found that abusive parents have less realistic

11.Cf. R. Blanchard - P. Klassen et Al., “Sensitivity and specificity of the phallometric test for pedophilia in non-admitting sex offenders,” in Psychological Assessment 13 (2001) 118-126; R. L Angevin - R. Watson, “Major factors in the assessment of paraphilics and sex offenders,” in Sex Offender Treatment 23 (1996) 39-70. Similar data are found in Italy: “In 1999, out of a total of 522 people accused, 357 were known to the victim; among these, 338 belonged to family and, of the remaining 165 cases, the offender was unknown to the minor. In the year 2000, from a total of 621 people accused, 476 were known to the victim; out of these, 449 belonged to family; in the remaining 145 cases, the perpetrator was unknown to the minor” (M. Picozzi - A. Zappalà, A Criminal profiling. Dall’analisi della scena del delitto al profilo psicologico del criminale, Milan, McGraw-Hill, 2002, 228). Cf. A. Oliverio Ferraris - B. Graziosi, Pedofilia. Per saperne di più, Rome - Bari, Laterza, 2004, 39f. The data of Censis were also recalled during the conference “Pedofilia e internet: vecchie ossessioni e nuove crociate,” organized by the Radicals on October 27, 1998 (cf. la Repubblica, online, October 27, 1998). 12.The data referring to Canada shows that the rate of sexual crimes, considered as a whole, is 90 of every 100,000 inhabitants. Cf. the Canadian Center for Justice Statistics, Sex Offenders, Ottawa, Statistics Canada Juristat, 1999, 19 (3), Catalog n. 85-002-XPE. The terms “ephebophilia” and “ebephilia” used to indicate the specific sexual attraction to adolescents, respectively males or females, were introduced by K. Freund (cf. “Experimental analysis of pedophilia,” in Behavior Research and Therapy 20 [1982] 105-112). GIOVANNI CUCCI, SJ – HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

expectations of what is developmentally appropriate behavior in their children. Abusive parents also tend to find their children’s behavior more stressful than parents who are not abusive.”13 Relationships with flattened affectivity can also share similar problems. These are linked to violence suffered or to an early abandonment, especially in some critical phases of psychic development such as weaning, with consequent problems in the relationship with one’s body and the oedipal conflict. Non-incestuous fathers instead had developed a tactile relationship as well with their own children that made them more attentive and considerate toward the latter. Therefore, the key element is how adults live their parental role, and the possibility of creating unhealthy dynamics; in this case, the “family 16 system” of father/mother is undermined by the “subsystem” in which children have to unwillingly assume the roles of substitute-husband or substitute-wife. “Although responsibility is always personal, the psychological dynamic in this case can be understood if we consider the “predisposing” factors, which are: the wife’s detachment from her spouse and (prematurely) from her daughter, the couple’s progressive abandonment of their marital roles, the transformation of the father’s role from being a parent to becoming increasingly more his daughter’s ‘companion’ ... Case studies show that, in almost half of the cases where father-daughter (or stepfather-daughter) incest has taken place, the couple’s relationship was already compromised and conjugal relations had long been suspended. Incest thus becomes a powerful regulator of the couple’s problems.”14 Another result of the research is that often the pedophile was a victim of abuse, usually by a male, and even if the pedophile is married, he does not feel loved by his wife.15 This is the reason why he is looking for children of the same age at which he

13.R. Emery - L. Laumann-Billings, “Child Abuse,” in M. Rutter - E. Taylor (eds.), Child and adolescent psychiatry, Oxford, Blackwell Publishing, 1994, 328f. As for the research by Seympur and Hilda Parker (found in D. Glaser - S. Frosh, Child sexual abuse, London, Macmillan, 1988) cf. A. Oliviero Ferraris - B. Graziosi, Pedofilia, op. cit., 91f. 14.A. Oliviero Ferraris - B. Graziosi, Pedofilia, op. cit., 93-94 and 97. 15.G. Gabbard, Psichiatria psicodinamica, Milan, Cortina, 1995, 316. PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE PEDOPHILIA PROBLEM suffered violence, in a sort of flashback, a “repetition compulsion,” an action rather than a considered attempt to return to the past, to the “crime scene,” in order to be able to live it differently, thus obtaining momentary relief for his anguish. The percentage of abusers who had themselves been abused as children is almost three times higher compared to the average statistics concerning such crimes;16 a similar proportion is found in criminal behavior, along with a notable increase in the number of mental health problems and a higher risk of suicidal behavior. Hence the deep and serious physical, psychic and cognitive wounds present in those who were abused as children.17 While most abusers were themselves victims of sexual abuse – not only sexual but in family environments marked by physical and verbal violence, lack of affection and 17 communication – it is also true that not all victims of abuse become in turn abusers of others. Much depends on the age of the person abused, the context in which the abuse occurred, whether it was an isolated or repeated event, if it was perpetrated by an unknown person or by someone significant. Ultimately, much depends upon how the subject interprets the aftermath of the trauma. If the psychological structure of the victim is sufficiently strong and balanced, if he has the ability to resist and deal with highly destabilizing and stressful situations, if most of all there is a family environment in which the person can find understanding, or a relationship with an emotionally meaningful external figure, in order to share the experience, he will be able to re-read the situation and establish some distance from it. This is what in psychology 18 is called resilience, the capacity to face difficulties in an

16.“About 30 percent of sexual offenders were sexually abused as children” (P. Taylor, “Beyond Myths and Denial. What Church Communities Need to Know About Sexual Abusers,” in America, April 1, 2002, 9). 17.Cf. R. Hanson - S. Slater, “Sexual victimization in the history of sexual abusers: A review,” in Annals of Sex Research 1 (1988) 485-500; R. Langevin - P. Wright - L. Handy, “Characteristics of sex offenders who were sexually victimized as children,” ibidem 2 (1989) 227-253. 18.Current research identifies some specific components which are typical of resilience: a generally optimistic mood, a good relationship with an affectively significant person (in terms of respect and trust), well developed cognitive GIOVANNI CUCCI, SJ – HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

adaptive way; thus, the event can be “metabolized,” breaking the vicious circle and opening up different possibilities. The variables to be considered are certainly many, complex and diverse. It is therefore impossible, even in these cases, to think of a simple relationship of cause and effect.19

Pedophilia among priests in the Catholic Church From 2001 to 2010 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith received reports of about 3,000 cases of abuse by Catholic priests in the last 50 years. As recalled by Msgr. Charles J. Scicluna, promoter of justice of the Congregation, “60 percent of the cases deal with ephebophilia, that is, sexual attraction toward same-sex adolescents, another 30 percent deal 18 with heterosexual relations and 10 percent with real pedophilia, i.e., determined by a sexual attraction for prepubescent children. The accusations of real pedophilia by priests are therefore about 300 in nine years.”20

capacity, a rich expressiveness (cf. J. Oldham - A. Skodol - D. Bender, Trattato dei disturbi di personalità, Milan, Cortina, 2008, 337). 19.In a book that presents a comprehensive overview of studies and research carried out between 1965 and 2000 investigating the possibility that victims may become abusers, the following factors emerge: “To be male, to be abused by a close relative or by several people in a serious way and with the use of force, repeatedly and for a long time. The younger the age (especially if under the age of eight), greater is the impact, and therefore greater is the risk of becoming an abuser.” The authors speak however of a “reasonable probability of the event” and feel obliged to conclude: “It is necessary to remember that reality is much more complex... A response to this question remains open: ‘Do all the above- mentioned parameters have a solid predictive power?’” (A. Salvatori - S. Salvatori, L’abuso sessuale al minore e il danno psichico, op. cit., 188f). 20.G. Cardinale, “Chiesa rigorosa sulla pedofilia,” interview with Msgr. , in Avvenire, March 13, 2010, 5. The majority of cases reported mainly pertain to the United States, “which for the years 2003-2004 represented approximately 80 percent of the total cases. For 2009, the percentage for the US dropped to around 25 percent of the 223 new cases reported from all over the world. In recent years (2007-2009), in fact, the annual average of cases reported to the Congregation from all over the world has been 250. Many countries report only one or two cases. The variety and number of countries of origin is on the rise, however the phenomenon is very small. In fact, it is necessary to recall that the total number of diocesan priests and religious in the world is 400,000. This statistical data does not correspond to the perception that comes from these very sad cases being front page news” (Ibid.) PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE PEDOPHILIA PROBLEM

An analysis of the data confirms some of the elements mentioned so far. Research on 36 priest abusers, of whom 69 percent were Catholic priests, showed that the great majority of victims were male minors (83 percent), 19 percent female minors, and 3 percent both sexes. In about half of the cases (48 percent) the victims were less than 14 years old.21 Another common element is the fact that most of the perpetrators had themselves been abused.22 In the Archdiocese of Boston, one of the most marked by the accusations of pedophilia, the number of priests accused – before further investigation of guilt – was around 2 percent of the total number of Catholic priests in the .23 Therefore, why does the news of recent months focus almost exclusively on cases of abuse within the Catholic 19

21.Cf. R. Lanvengin, “Who Engages in Sexual Behavior with Children? Are Clergy Who Commit Sexual Offences Different from Other Sex Offenders?” in K. Hanson - F. Pfäfflin - M. Lütz (eds), Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church, op. cit., 39; cf. Ibid., “The clergy and sexual offenses: Examining facets of past offenses and possible future preventive change,” Lecture presented at Victimization for Children and Youth: An International Conference, New Hampshire, Portsmouth, 2002. 22.At the St. Luke Center, in Silver Spring (Maryland, USA), which treats priests suffering from serious problems, including sexual abuse, two- thirds of the priests who were accused of harassment were themselves victims of abuse (cf. S. Rossetti, “Some Red Flags for Child Sexual Abuse,” op. cit., 9; C. Bryant, “Psychological treatment of Priest Sex Offenders,” in America, April 1, 2002, 14-17). 23.The research carried out by the Congregation for the Clergy shows how the percentage of clergy accused of sexual abuse among the clergy is around 1 percent of the total (cf. Ch. Scicluna, “Sexual Abuse of Children and Young People by Catholic Priests and Religious: Description of the Problem from a Church Perspective,” in K. Hanson - F. Pfäfflin - M. Lütz [eds], Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church, op. cit., 23). Almost identical data were mentioned in a preceding article: “In the archdiocese of Boston. In the last 50 years, there were about 3,000 priests and, in those same years, about 60 priests were accused of sexual abuse that is to say about 2 percent. In the same way, since 1950, in the archdiocese of Philadelphia, there were 2,154 priests and in the same period “credible claims” have come forward against 35 of them, that is to say 1.4 percent. A slightly higher percentage than the latter is found in the archdiocese of Chicago: over the last 40 years, out of 2,200 priests in pastoral service complaints were made against about 40 priests, that is to say a proportion of 1.8 percent” (G. Marchesi,” The Catholic Church in the United States shaken by the scandal of pedophilia,” op. cit., 481). GIOVANNI CUCCI, SJ – HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

Church, despite the fact that they constitute little over 3 percent of the number of reported cases?24 An answer may be found in the significance attached to the person of the priest, in his religious, educational and moral role. Such offenses, even if they are less numerous, rightly arouse greater indignation and outrage and undermine the credibility of priestly ministry. Considering the essentially symbolic importance of the priest, the credibility of his office qua 25 talis is at stake. However, other reasons can be identified, which are expressed quite explicitly by some newspapers and magazines. It is evident that the position of the Church on issues of morality and sexuality is not shared by many. They resent its influence on people and would like to silence and 20 discredit the Church. The almost monotonous insistence on crimes committed by some Catholic priests subtly implies that even the teaching, which they represent, has no value and must be invalidated.26

24.“In the US, in 1988, there were 2,178,000 accusations of violence against minors, which is almost 3 percent of all children in the country. According to recent statistics, one girl in three and one boy in seven experience sexual violence before reaching adulthood” (La Repubblica, August 24, 1989, 16). A similar situation can be found in Great Britain: in the years 1987 to 1989, 2,000 children were reportedly victims of sexual violence perpetrated by members of around 200 pedophile organizations (cf. ibid., October 20, 1990, 20). According to data supplied by the Austrian Government, out of 527 complaints received concerning sexual abuse 17 involved religious people (cf. Il Foglio, March 16, 2010, 2). In Germany, according to the criminologist C. Pfeiffer, the number of priests involved varies between 0.1 percent and 0.3 percent (cf. Süddeutsche Zeitung, March 15, 2010; https://www.sueddeutsche.de 16.03.2010). 25.Cf. The testimony of an American priest on the matter: “Now, even if only 4 percent of priests have been accused of abuse, all priests are suspects in the eyes of the public. This means that the simple fact of wearing a clerical collar arouses suspicions” (J. Martin, “Come è stato possibile? Per un’analisi dello scandalo degli abusi sessuali nella Chiesa cattolica,” in M. Frawley-O’Dea - V. Goldner [eds], Atti impuri. La piaga dell’abuso sessuale nella Chiesa Cattolica, Milan, Cortina, 2009, 169). 26.“As long as the Catholic Church does not deal with the issue of the place of sexuality in its understanding of the human person, it will hardly be able to contain its recurring reappearance in sexual abuse cases. In the meantime, it would be necessary to adopt a greater caution and self-criticism in presenting itself as a magistra vitae and in giving lessons on ‘good sexuality,’ ‘good family’ PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE PEDOPHILIA PROBLEM

Considering these facts, many people hold that Catholic priests who have been found guilty of pedophilia, in addition to condemnation, should be reduced to the lay state and the Vatican is criticized for failing to take such measures. This rightful procedure is of course foreseen by the Code of L aw, 27 but there is no certainty it serves the best interests of potential victims, the children, as well as abusers themselves, who often return to society without any supervision. When they are left to themselves, they often commit other acts of abuse. This happened in the case of James Porter, a priest of the Diocese of Fall River (Massachusetts): once he was dismissed from priesthood, there was no follow-up on the part of civil authorities. He married, and soon after the marriage, he was charged for the molestation of his children’s babysitter.28 21

The importance of an integrated formation Considering abuse perpetrated by Catholic priests, people wonder how it was possible for these persons to reach priestly or religious profession. As a matter of fact, it is still very difficult to identify a future potential pedophile with any degree of precision. Too many elements remain obscure and require further study and research. The situation is often detected only after a case of abuse has taken place and was ascertained. It should also be added that those suffering from paraphilias and other clinical disturbances, such as pedophilia, do not usually ask to enter the seminary or the religious life in order to seek out potential victims. Many people are tormented by these tendencies and see in the Sacrament of Orders or religious consecration a sort of magical healing. Soon, however, the magical thinking clashes with reality and results in tragic consequences, as appears in the experience of those who had to deal with these sad stories: “Candidates who believe that a commitment to a celibate lifestyle will help them put their sexual problems and ‘appropriate gender identity’” (C. Saraceno, “La chiesa e l’educazione,” in la Repubblica, March 14, 2010, 31). 27.Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon 695; 729; 746; 1395. 28.Cf. S. Rossetti, “The Catholic Church and Child Abuse,” in America, April 22, 2002, 13. GIOVANNI CUCCI, SJ – HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

behind them are headed for trouble. How many perpetrators of child abuse have told me that they thought celibate ministry would take care of their sexual struggles! Many of them had no problems for their first 10 or 15 years of ministry. Eventually, however, an unresolved sexual problem will come out.”29 From these sad events, it is still possible to draw some valuable lessons: 1) While the scandal of abuse is painful, it is necessary and important, perhaps even purifying, for pastors and for those who train them. After many years, lots of victims have finally been able to speak of their tragedy, pain, agony, rage and shame, and they can thus open up to the possibility of a greater reconciliation. Of course, no process or compensation will ever 22 heal these devastating wounds. However, some gestures may achieve results which are equally important. For this reason, the decision to meet with and listen to the victims of abuse by Pope Benedict XVI on several occasions has had great value and significance. 2) It is important that the Church recognizes the gravity of what happened, not only in the punishment of abusers, but also by asking what kind of priests it wishes to have and how to offer them a healthy formation, enabling them to become real apostles, capable of acknowledging the wounds and suffering of the people entrusted to them. This requires being able to choose candidates with care and attention and accompany them in such a way as to enable them to live their celibacy. It is also necessary to face the underlying spiritual challenge: what is it at the core of faith? 3) When the Church communicates its regret for the victims with concern and transparency, together with the assurance of therapeutic care, as well as its willingness to work with civil

29.Ibid., “Some Red Flags for Child Sexual Abuse,” op. cit., 11. The same conclusion can be found in another clinical study: “For some of these men who eventually entered the priesthood – however sincere their involvement and vocation – the fact of respecting the rule of sexual abstinence was part of the attempt to solve their conflicts. It is clear that priests who carried out their fantasies and their ephebophilic desires failed in their efforts” (G. Kochansky - M. Cohen, “Sessualizzazione dei minori,” in M. Frawley-O’Dea - V. Goldner [eds], Atti impuri, op. cit., 59). PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE PEDOPHILIA PROBLEM authorities, it can offer its contribution to bringing greater clarity and reason to public debate (cf. the procedure followed in the archdioceses of Munich, Cologne and Bolzano where the bishops have adopted an attitude that could be defined as “proactive,” i.e., collaborative in advance toward authorities and the media). 4) There is no relationship between celibacy and pedophilia. As we already said, this is evident from the fact that the majority of those who have perpetrated acts of pedophilia were married men. In addition, those priests who were found guilty of similar abuses did not live a chaste life.30 5) Another more general lesson to be drawn from this sad issue is that priests must become more aware of the public role that they are called to play, the repercussions of their choices, as 23 well as their opinions and judgments. Bearing this in mind, it must certainly be reaffirmed that this painful affair urges careful screening of those who ask to become religious or priests, as well as adequate preparation on the part of educators and superiors who are responsible for them. Their choice of priesthood or religious life may hide serious sexual problems or other difficulties, as well as in the broader area of personality. It is a matter of also understanding the candidate’s humanity, especially his emotional and sexual dimensions. More generally, from the point of view of the human sciences, it is necessary to ascertain the level of affective maturity, general sense of balance and impulse control, which are basic requirements to being a person of God, as recent Church documents have repeatedly recalled.31

30.“The instances of pedophilia among the ministers of worship in the US Protestant communities (Mormons, Baptists, Methodists and Episcopalians), as well as among Orthodox, Jews and Muslims is between 2 and 5 percent, an alarming figure, but still lower than the percentage of the overall adult population where the rate of pedophilia reaches around 8 percent” (G. Marchesi, “La Chiesa cattolica negli Stati Uniti scossa dallo scandalo della pedofilia,” op. cit., 482). 31.Cf. For example, Vatican Council II, Decree Perfectae Caritatis, October 28, 1965, No. 12; Paul VI, Letter Sacerdotalis Coelibatus, June 24, 1967, Nos. 60-64; John Paul II, Post-Synodal Pastores Da bo Vo b i s, March 25, 1992, No. 43; Ibid., Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Vita Consecrata, March 25, 1996, No. 65f.; Code of Canon Law, canons 642, GIOVANNI CUCCI, SJ – HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

Thus, it is important to foster an integrated meeting of intellect, emotion and will in the experience of faith, according to what John Paul II indicated as a basic characteristic of priestly formation: “God promises the Church not just any sort of shepherds, but shepherds ‘after his own heart.’ And God’s ‘heart’ has revealed itself to us fully in the heart of Christ the good shepherd. … People need to come out of their anonymity and fear. They need to be known and called by name, to walk in safety along the paths of life, to be found again if they have become lost, to be loved, to receive salvation as the supreme gift of God’s love. All this is done by Jesus, the good shepherd.”32 In such a passionate portrait of the ideal incarnated by the man of God, a clear sign of honesty and righteousness may consist 24 in recognizing and humbly working in order to overcome any possible obstacles that makes a free response to God’s call difficult. This is precisely the task of an integrated formation.

1029; Congregation for Institutes of and Societies of Apostolic Life, The fraternal life in community, February 2, 1994, No. 37; Ibid., Potissimum Institutioni, February 2, 1990, No. 43; Pontifical Work for Ecclesiastical Vocations, New Vocations for a New Europe, January 6, 1988, No. 37; Congregation for Catholic Education, Guidelines for the Use of Psychology in the Admission and Formation of Candidates for the Priesthood, June 29, 2008. 32.John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis, op.cit., No. 82. Combating the Culture of Pedophilia1

Giovanni Cucci, SJ – Hans Zollner, SJ

In a previous article,2 we attempted to outline the characteristics and personality of those who commit acts of pedophilia, both in general and specifically within the Catholic clergy. We noted the complexity of this situation and the difficulty of reaching firm conclusions, particularly regarding 25 prognosis and therapy. This difficulty, in turn, sheds new light on the manner in which this topic is often examined, and the ambiguity which is involved.

A strange silence In a climate marked by cases of abuse and a never-ending series of scandals, we notice a strange silence from the very people who are best qualified to speak on these matters: those working in the field of education who are more experienced than most at interacting with children (parents, teachers, coaches, community leaders and priests), and the experts who should be able to offer an appropriate comment on the problem of pedophilia, including psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists. To this issue, we notice an almost complete absence of contributions, not only in terms of opinions, statements or interviews, but also in terms of materials published. In this chapter, we shall limit our considerations to the area of psychological research.

1.This article was originally published in Civ. Catt., Q 3838, p. 317-329, II May 2010. 2.Cf. G. Cucci – H. Zollner, Osservazioni psicologiche sul problema della pedofilia in Civ. Catt. Q 3837, p. 211-222, I May 2010. GIOVANNI CUCCI, SJ – HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

Several psychologists and psychiatrists have questioned the diagnostic reliability of DSM-IV (and IV-TR),3 and particularly its criteria for pedophilia: Why, for example, must sexual fantasies last for a period of six months? What research supports this? Similar questions could be asked regarding age, frequency and the time frame of diagnosis. The earlier DSM-III was no better. Its data was omitted from subsequent editions, which, however, reduced the publication to a list of terms so vague and generic that any claim to scientific value was completely undermined. Unsupported by adequate research, the DSM is of no use to psychologists or therapists.4 The proposal to focus solely on behavioral criteria does not seem to provide much help either. “Focusing strictly 26 on behavior, so that a single sexual act with a child would constitute sufficient evidence for the diagnosis of ‘pedophilic response disorder,’ is problematic since it removes the important distinction between individuals who sexually prefer children, but have never molested a child, and those who have abused a child, but sexually prefer adults.”5 These are not minor issues, considering their impact on diagnosis and especially on therapeutic prognosis. Despite the paucity of scientific contributions, the more they are studied the more the psychological dynamics of pedophilia appear invasive and disturbing: many abusers do not recognize their problem, are very resistant to therapy, seem to lack any perception of the gravity of their actions, and their painful story ends not infrequently with suicide. It is perhaps to address these issues that the fifth edition of the DSM, due to be released in 2013, attempts to emphasize the medical-psychiatric aspect of pedophilia and other behaviors related to sexual impulse

3.The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV-TR), published in 2000 by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), following previous editions published in 1994 and 1987 (DSM IV; DSM III-R). 4.Cf. W. O’Donohue, L. Regev, A. Hagstrom, “Problems with the DSM- IV Diagnosis of Pedophilia,” in Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 12, 2 (2000) 95-105. 5.J. Camillieri, V. Quinsey, “Pedophilia. Assessment and Treatment,” in R. Laws, W. O’Donohue (eds.), Sexual Deviance. Theory, Assessment, and Treatment, New York – London, Guilford Press, 2008, 184. COMBATING THE CULTURE OF PEDOPHILIA control. This is a departure from previous editions, in which pedophilia was not classified as a mental disorder. This leads to significant legal consequences. “A redefinition of pedophilia as a pedohebephilic disorder, medicalizing behaviors socially considered criminal and immoral, is to be expected and indeed has already begun.”6 Some research, in fact, claims to establish a significant correlation between brain damage and pedophilic behavior, though never to the extent of suggesting a simple relationship of cause and effect.7 To complicate matters further, there exists a large number of possible categories and classifications, not to mention multiple etiologies, associated with behaviors that can be categorized as “pedophilia,” “paraphilia,” “perversion,” “pederasty” or “ephebophilia.” For those seeking a precise description of the psychological dynamics underlying 27 these behaviors, the result is likely to be more rather than less confusion. A psychopathological study of this topic concluded its research on a rather disconsolate note: “Pedophilia can be expressed as a form of sublimated attraction toward children (on the part of

6.G. Corbellini, “Disturbi mentali, il catalogo è questo,” in Il Sole 24 Ore Domenica, March 21, 2010, 49. 7.“Ray Blanchard and his colleagues from the University of Toronto compared the medical histories of 400 pedophiles with those of 800 non-pedophiles. They have drawn attention to the fact that the former had a much higher rate of traumatic incidents with loss of consciousness before the age of six. In their study, these incidents were also associated with a lower level of intellectual performance and a lower level of education. The authors themselves noted that this work does not demonstrate a causal link between traumatic injuries and the development of pedophilia.” (G. Perella, I. Floriani, “La ricerca sulla pedofilia,” in Brain Mind & Life, July 2009, www.brainmindlife.org). Similar results are found in other research: “There is consistent evidence that pedophilia is a neurodevelopmental disorder, based on neuropsychological testing, life histories, episodes of brain damage, and structural neuroimaging. The deeper question is what causes these neurodevelopmental disturbances, and why they manifest as pedophilia rather than another paraphilia” (M. Seto, “Pedophilia. Psychopathology and Theory,” in R. Laws, W. O’Donohue [eds.], Sexual Deviance, 175). Langevin notes that, with a sample of 203 abusers, 23.2 percent also exhibit a state of mental retardation (R. Langevin, “Who Engages in Sexual Behavior with Children? Are Clergy Who Commit Sexual Offences Different from Other Sex Offenders?” in K. Hanson, F. Pfafflin, M. Lutz [eds.], Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church. Scientific and Legal Perspectives, Vatican City, Editrice Vaticana, 2004, 36ff). GIOVANNI CUCCI, SJ – HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

educators and teachers in particular); as sexual activity whose object is a prepubescent subject (pederasty ranging from sexual violence to murder); as simple exhibitionism, voyeurism or seduction; as a symptom of psychological or psychopathological disturbances of various kinds …; as the expression of aspects of a certain culture in a particular historical context (for example, in ancient Greece). There is also a cluster of theories that view pedophilia as a social construct, an expression of inadequate sexual education, a cognitive distortion, the result of a biological abnormality, and so forth. Faced with such confusion, we might just as well eliminate this term from our technical, legal, social and cultural vocabulary, and speak simply of sexual violence against minors.”8 28 Another simple exercise may help one to grasp the complexity and lack of certainty that exist in this field. Look up the terms “pedophilia” and “pederasty” in a few major dictionaries and encyclopedias of psychology. Even formulating the instructions for this task poses a problem: Are pedophilia and pederasty the same thing, or are we looking at two psychically different phenomena? Why is that? Different authors present a significant variety of definitions, which are often approximations that contradict each other.9

8.S. Coda - U. Fornari, “La personalità del pedofilo,” in T. Bandini, B. Gualco (eds.), Infanzia e abuso sessuale, Milan, Giuffre, 2000, 243. Cf. also a further observation: “The data in the existing literature, in our opinion, is lacking as concerns the construction of a profile for subjects who end up hiding behind a concept so uncertain as to be useless in clinical studies” (Ibid., 265; cf. also C. Balier, Psicoanalisi dei comportamenti sessuali violenti, Turin, Centro Scientifico Editore, 1998). 9.In an article written some years ago, Umberto Galimberti presented a significant evaluation of the psychological discussion of these terms: “In a certain sense, we should be grateful to Longanesi’s Nuovo dizionario di sessuologia for dedicating some 30 lines to an entry on pederasty, among its 1,370 pages dealing with sexuality. The Dizionario di psicologia published by Laterza (1,168 pages), Musatti’s Trattato di psicoanalisi (828 pages, published by Boringhieri), and Silvano Arieti’s Manuale di psichiatria (2,368 pages, also published by Boringhieri) ignore the topic completely. Meanwhile, Alberto Semi’s Trattato di psicoanalisi (1,903 pages, published by Cortina), Dalla Volta’s Dizionario di psicologia (995 pages, published by Giunti Barbera) and Roche’s Enciclopedia psichiatrica (381 pages) feature it under the heading of pedophilia, to which they each dedicate a few lines. Christian Muller’s Lessico di psichiatria (661 pages, published by Piccin) COMBATING THE CULTURE OF PEDOPHILIA

We have the same problem with the definition of “ephebophilia,” despite it representing an overwhelming majority of cases reported. And yet, this distinction is necessary to determine the specific nature of an abuse, its underlying psychodynamic and, above all, the kind of therapeutic intervention required.10 Concluding his review of the different and sometimes conflicting psychological presentations of this topic, Galimberti made a significant observation: “It is practically impossible to form a clear idea, to take a stance and to determine a course of action on this matter, given the current state of our knowledge and the extent of our confusion. Yet this is precisely where we need to speak from knowledge and not from hearsay.”11 This is a bold statement, particularly considering that almost none of the authors reviewed have appeared in newspapers, on 29 radio or on television in recent months. By contrast, we cannot fail to notice the abundance of dedicates one and a half columns to describing how those who practice pederasty are ‘people between 15 and 30 years of age in a condition of sexual crisis, as well as sexual psychopaths or neurotics, oligophrenics, chronic alcoholics, drug addicts and those suffering from local or diffused forms of organic brain disorder.’ The author of the Dizionario di psicologia (1,022 pages, published by Utet) does little better, dedicating only two lines to pederasty and fourteen lines to pedophilia.” The same brevity is evident in so many other works that this list could be extended indefinitely: eight lines are given to “pedophilia” in A. Reber’s The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology; six in A. Colman’s more recent Oxford Dictionary of Psychology, published in 2006; J. Laplanche and J.B. Pontalis’ Enciclopedia della psicoanalisi effectively associates pedophilia with perversion, while the topic is completely absent from the otherwise extensive and recent Trattato dei disturbi di personalità by J. Oldham, A. Skodol and D. Bender (published by Cortina in 2008, 1,137 pages), despite the fact this lists various Axis 1 disorders. A definition is also lacking inLa diagnosi in psicologia clinica by N. Dazzi, V. Lingiardi and F. Gazzillo (Corinta, 2009). 10.“The psychodynamic and character traits typically seen in ephebophiles are quite different from those of pedophiles ... The typical ephebophile, excepting cases of perversion, is a relatively healthy person. He is not psychotic. And although he may have some difficulty forming close or intimate relationships, and may therefore seem somewhat asocial, he is not antisocial in a psycho-pathological sense” (G. Kochansky, M. Cohen, “Priests who Sexualize Minors,” in M. Frawley-O’Dea, V. Goldner (eds.), Predatory Priests, Silenced Victims: The Sexual Abuse Crisis and the Catholic Church, London, The Analytic Press, 2007, 38, 51. 11.U. Galimberti, “Ma non chiamatela pedofilia”, op. cit., 1. GIOVANNI CUCCI, SJ – HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

hearsay – to use Galimberti’s term – and the ease with which people without any qualifications are willing to offer judgments, analyses, comments and advice. The many heated debates on pedophilia have rarely investigated its possible causes, or the vital question of how to prevent it and support its victims, without forgetting that these often include the offenders themselves. The tendency has been to focus largely on marginal aspects of the issue and to blame priestly celibacy, when in fact it is abundantly clear this has no connection with the problem of pedophilia and ephebophilia. “The truth of the matter is that all institutions that have contact with children and young people can attract those who seek illicit contact with minors. This applies to sports clubs, support groups for young people, and of course the Church as 30 well. Hans-Ludwig Kröber, a leading German expert, found no evidence of a higher frequency of pedophilia among celibate teachers compared to others.”12 This kind of uninformed reporting certainly does not help to shed light on the problem of pedophilia, the culture that has encouraged and propagated it, or the possible ways of dealing with it. Ultimately, what sociologists call a “moral panic” has been created. This is based on two elements: first, presenting as new – or as increasing in number – instances that were equally present in the past, which, sadly, is the case with pedophilia; second, failing to properly represent the statistical distribution of these instances. This creates a distorted picture of the scale of these events. “Moral panic helps no one: the perception of our problems becomes distorted, and the measures intended to resolve them are undermined. Poor analysis can only lead to ineffective interventions... In a series of valuable studies, Philip Jenkins showed how the issue of pedophile priests is perhaps the classic example of a moral panic. If we compare the Catholic Church in the United States to the main Protestant denominations, we discover that pedophilia is two to 10 times more common among Protestant pastors than Catholic priests. This is a relevant comparison because it shows the problem does

12.M. Lutz, “La Chiesa e i bambini,” in L’Osservatore Romano, February 17, 2010, 4. COMBATING THE CULTURE OF PEDOPHILIA not arise from celibacy, since most Protestant pastors are married. Around the time about 100 American priests were found guilty of sexual abuse against minors, close to 6,000 sports instructors and youth team coaches – who are also generally married – were found guilty of the same crime by U.S. courts. There are many similar examples, not only in the United States. Significantly, according to periodic U.S. government reports, around two- thirds of sexual abuses against minors are not perpetrated by strangers or educators – including priests and Protestant pastors – but by family members such as stepfathers, uncles, cousins, brothers and even parents. Similar data has come to light in many other countries.”13 Of course, none of this is an excuse for the gravity of the crimes committed by Catholic priests, and this must be 31 emphasized to avoid confusion. However, moral panic does not help to clarify the problem, nor to protect children. One might wonder what will remain of all this after the media furor dies down; certainly, it will not be a deeper understanding of the tragedy of pedophilia.

Combating the culture of pedophilia The variety and confusion of possible views regarding the problem of pedophilia extend well beyond the world of psychology. The same confusion is just as evident in public opinion, which swings between criminalizing and liberalizing behaviors associated with pedophilia. Often perversion, even in its extreme forms – of which pedophilia is only one aspect – has not been properly researched or considered because it is viewed as an expression of sexual freedom that must be defended against “repression” and “discrimination.” Sadly, such slogans have been widely and uncritically accepted in recent decades. The cultural zeitgeist of the 1970s and 1980s repeatedly and publicly tried to justify pedophilia, without running into opposition or criticism, but by and large encountering only acceptance. In Germany – currently the focus of many

13.Cf. M. Introvigne, “Cosa c’è dietro gli scandali?” in Avvenire, March 18, 2010, 31. Cf. P. Jenkins, Moral Panic: Changing Concepts of the Child Molester in Modern America, London, Yale University Press, 1998. GIOVANNI CUCCI, SJ – HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

investigations and legal proceedings – pedophilic behavior was widely favored and encouraged during these decades. “In 1969, before taking his leave to join the Rote Armee Faktion, Jan Carl Raspe in his Kursbuch praised the Kommune II, where adults pressured children to accept sexual advances despite their unwillingness. From the Grüne (Greens), there was a proposal in 1985 to decriminalize sex with children, and in 1989 Deutscher Ärtzte-Verlag published a book that openly proposed the acceptance of sexual contact with children. At the time, there was strong opposition to Catholic moral teaching on sexuality, which was considered a repressive obstacle to the ‘emancipation of infantile sexuality.’”14 The same attempt to legalize pedophilia took place in Italy, 32 as well. Giovanni Giusti, who led an international network disseminating child pornography via the internet, defended his actions on the day after his arrest: “Our battle is like the battle of anti-prohibitionists. We ask for freedom of expression for those who believe it is right to love children. Our cultural position, which does not involve violence or exploitation or prostitution, should be respected. By jailing us, you are persecuting us.... When there is no violence, when the child is consenting, the attentions of the adult and the relationship between adult and child should be considered legitimate.”15 The Italian Radical Party adopted this as its official position in 1998, when it published a document titled Pedophilia and the Internet: Old Obsessions and New Crusades, expressing its opposition to Italian law No. 269.16 This document affirms, among other things, that “in a legally constituted state, being a pedophile, declaring oneself as such or even supporting the legitimacy of pedophilia cannot be considered an offense. Pedophilia, like any other sexual preference, becomes an

14.M. Lutz, “La Chiesa e i bambini,” op. cit., 4. 15.Corriere della Sera, September 8, 1998, 17. 16.“Norms against the exploitation of prostitution, of pornography, of sexual tourism harmful to minors, which are new forms of slavery,” law No. 269, August 3, 1998, published in Gazzetta Ufficiale No. 185, August 10, 1998, 3-9. COMBATING THE CULTURE OF PEDOPHILIA offense only when it harms other people.”17 This document was the focus of an eponymous conference organized on Senate premises by the Radical Party on October 27, 1998. On that occasion, Adelmo Manna, a professor of Criminal Law at the University of Bari, declared: “They cannot attack peoples’ rights in the name of child protection. This narrow-minded law is an intrusion into our homes and a violation of our privacy.”18 In more recent times, too, we have seen strange and notable ambiguities that have been tolerated and accepted. Among some of the major news headlines of recent years, the existence of a legal, official pedophile party set up in The Netherlands in 2006 provoked astonishment, to say the least. Its manifesto was based on complete and total libertarianism: “The PNVD program proposes the abolition of the role of the prime minister, the freedom to walk 33 around naked, the legalization of drugs, sex with animals and porn films during the daytime, sexual education for children, and the lowering of the age of consent from 16 to 12 years of age.”19 Faced with demands for legal action, the explanation presented by the court of The Hague perfectly illustrates the conceptual absence of rules and restrictions discussed above: “Freedom of expression and of assembly, including the freedom to organize a political party, is the foundation of a democratic society. It is up to electors to judge the manifesto.” What provokes even more astonishment is the fact that some public , including the heads of commissions investigating cases of alleged abuse, are themselves tolerant of, or even favorable to pedophilia. The most striking example concerns Berlin’s

17.“Pedofilia e internet: vecchie ossessioni e nuove crociate,” in A. Oliviero Ferraris, B. Graziosi, Pedofilia. Per saperne di più, Roma – Bari, Laterza, 2004, 230. 18.Corriere della Sera, October 28, 1998, 15. 19.Ibid., July 19, 2006, 20. “To educate children means also to accustom them to sex. Prohibiting sex makes children even more curious.” This was the justification provided in 2006 by Advan den Berg, the 62-year old founder of the party, for intending to liberalize child pornography and decriminalize sexual relations between adults and children of 12. The Party for Neighborly Love, Freedom and Diversity (PNVD) disbanded on March 15, 2010, not due to any legal decree, but simply because it was unable to collect the 570 signatures required to participate in the elections of June 9. GIOVANNI CUCCI, SJ – HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

Humanistische Union (HU), which fought until 1999 for the general liberalization of pornography and all forms of “consensual” sex, including sex with minors. Board members of the HU have included Claudia Roth and Renate Künast, frontline leaders of the Greens, and Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, current Minister of Justice in the German government, all three among the most vehement critics of the Catholic Church.20 Another issue is the widespread public acceptance of pornography, especially on the internet, seemingly without concern for the devastating effects that viewing such material may have on our minds. Studies confirm the correlation between pornography and fantasies acted upon in the course of sexual violence: with a sample of 561 pedophiles, there is a statistically significant link 34 (35 percent) between the consumption of pornographic material (mostly adult material) and abusive behavior.21 Finally, in this cultural context, we cannot fail to mention the widespread support that exists for the abolition of sexual difference, promoted by so-called gender theory, which posits that the terms “man” and “woman” should be removed from our dictionaries and replaced by the more neutral term “gender.” To ensure equality, this theory claims it is necessary to eliminate diversity among human beings, starting with biological diversity. “The gender perspective ... implies a rejection of the idea that sexual identity is written into nature, in our chromosomes, and affirms that each of us creates our own gender, floating freely between masculine and feminine and passing through all possible intermediate stages.” Gender theory, in fact, develops these premises: that sexual differentiation is not uniquely male/female but rather multiple, related to sexual orientation, race and culture, and even to social status, “to the point that it completely obliterates

20.Cf. R. Bingener, “Die Lust am Kind – Wofür steht die ‘Humanistische Union’?” in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, March 29, 2010, 8. None of these three political figures has, at the time of writing, requested corrections to what was written in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. 21.Cf. R. Langevin - S. Curnoe, Pornography and Sex Crimes: An Examination of Criminal History, Violence, Risk and Pornography Production. Presentation at the Seventh Biennial Conference of the International Association for the treatment of Sexual Offenders, Vienna, 2002. COMBATING THE CULTURE OF PEDOPHILIA the meaning of male-female duality, and creates an increasingly clear demarcation between biological sexual difference and the construction of a social and psychological identity.”22 The extinction of difference and the creation of a situation where “everything is replaceable” give rise, from a psychological point of view, to the dynamic typical of narcissism, understood as the attempt to reduce the other to a mirror of oneself, erasing their “otherness” and thus revealing roots of intolerance and violence. In separating affection from sexuality, this narcissistic dynamic is not only antithetical to Christian anthropology, but also creates the underlying basis for perversions and abuses such as pedophilia. This connection has long been recognized by psychological research: “According to the classical view, pedophilia is a narcissistic choice of object, in the sense that 35 a pedophile sees the child as a mirror image of himself as a child ... In clinical practice, one discovers that many pedophiles suffer from pathological narcissism ... Sexual activity with prepubescent children can boost the pedophile’s fragile self- esteem.”23 Research undertaken by Len Sperry reveals that five out of six profiles associated with sexual abuse of minors present psychological dynamics of a narcissistic type.24 These observations demand that we once again call into question the broader and often uncritically accepted cultural context that condones transgressions and perversions as expressions of freedom and spontaneity. Giommi and Perrotta, reflecting on the problem of pedophilia, acknowledge that any approach limited to criminal justice will be powerless and impoverishing, unless it finds the courage to raise questions

22.P. Vanzan, “Gender e rapporto uomo-donna,” Civ. Catt. 2009 I 553ff. In the article, there is a particular reference to the report Identità e genere by the Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women’s Rights (CLASDEM), aimed at achieving a “universal declaration of Human Rights from the gender perspective” (cf. Fides, Dossier Identità e genere [seconda parte], April 18, 2008). 23.G. Gabbard, Psichiatria psicodinamica, Milan, Cortina, 1995, 315. 24.Cf. L. Sperry, Sexo, Sacerdocio e Iglesia, Santander, Sal Terrae, 2004, 89; J. R. Prada, Psicologia e formazione. Principi psicologici utilizzati nella formazione per il Sacerdozio e la Vita consacrata, Rome, Editiones Academiae Alfonsianae, 2009, 236. GIOVANNI CUCCI, SJ – HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

of an ethical and cultural nature: “Why is modern culture so influenced by this discourse? Are we talking about liberation or, on the contrary, are we experiencing a difficult and unconscious decadence? ... We are talking about a rejection of the ethics of man-woman and man-woman-child relations; we are talking about a lack of care for the human body and for our emotional and affective growth. It is the ‘relationship script’ that needs to change: we cannot rely solely on punishment to protect our right to occupy our own space, to experience relationships in a constructive way, rather than in an asymmetrical and unbalanced manner.”25 Pedophilia is a perversion. To recognize this and address it requires us to acknowledge an ethical and psychological 36 standard, as well as a legal one.26

The accusations against Benedict XVI In recent months (in 2012), criticism of Benedict XVI for his slow response to abuse cases has been a recurring theme in some newspapers. We have already established it is not easy to get to the heart of these affairs, particularly if we want to go beyond appearances and easily made accusations. Those who complain about the lack of a swift response fail to acknowledge, in the first place, that proving serious accusations is not a simple matter. This happened recently, for example, when the New York Times accused Benedict XVI of failing to take appropriate measures in the case of Father Lawrence C. Murphy. The fact is that, despite charges brought before a court of law, Murphy was released by the police because of insufficient evidence. The same happened with James Porter – the priest from the Fall River Diocese mentioned in the previous article – who, despite having been dismissed from the priesthood, was not convicted for several years. The fact that a person has been accused is not enough to indicate they are guilty; in fact, many proceedings

25.R. Giommi, E M. Perrotta, “L’attrazione verso i deboli è anche bisogno di potere,” La Repubblica, September 26, 1996, 19. 26.“It is difficult to understand the notion of a perversion without reference to a norm” (J. Laplanche, J.B. Pontalis, Enciclopedia della psicoanalisi, Bari, Laterza, 1981, vol. II, 412). COMBATING THE CULTURE OF PEDOPHILIA have ended with the accused being exonerated, often because these cases conceal various interests and ulterior motives.27 It must also be noted that a bishop is not simply an official or an administrator of a diocese, but exercises a paternal authority over those for whom he has pastoral responsibility, namely priests, religious men and women, and lay people. When a father learns of a grievous action committed by his son, the first concern is not to rush ahead and denounce him – this can always be done later – but to understand what has happened, listen to those involved, ensure their wellbeing and, above all, protect the victims and the most vulnerable. In situations where criminal proceedings are required, it is perhaps most appropriate to encourage those directly involved to go to the authorities and invite the accused to 37 cooperate.28 Unfortunately, we must also acknowledge that in many cases, for various reasons, these steps have not taken place as they should have, especially in the early stages, thus adding hurt to hurt; it is most important to ensure that such failures are not repeated. Another point that has become a matter of endless controversy is the letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, . This letter allocates competence to establish the proper procedure for dealing with offences “against the sixth commandment of the Decalogue by a cleric with a minor who

27.As M. Politi observed regarding the chain of events that began in Boston: “Not everything in this story shines brightly. There is also the relentless pursuit of compensation, which, in the hands of ambitious lawyers, can become a ruthless machine aimed not so much at restoring justice, but rather at squeezing as much money as possible from the institution to which the guilty belongs” (La Repubblica, December 15, 2002, 15). 28.To use the words of Monsignor Scicluna: “In these cases, we do not oblige bishops to denounce their priests, but we encourage them to contact the victims and invite them to denounce the priests by whom they have been abused. What is more, we invite bishops to offer the victims all their assistance, spiritual and otherwise. In a recent case involving a priest convicted by the Italian Civil Court, this very Congregation suggested to the accusers, who came to us seeking a canonical trial, that they should alert the civil authorities for the sake of the victims and to prevent further offences” (Avvenire, March 13, 2010, 5). GIOVANNI CUCCI, SJ – HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

is under 18” to the Apostolic Tribunal of the Congregation.29 This measure is intended to emphasize the gravity of these cases and their appropriate handling, obliging the Ordinary of the diocese to report these offenses to the Congregation.30 The press has been particularly relentless in attacking a clause included at the end of the letter: “Cases of this kind are subject to the ”(Huiusmodi causae secreto pontificio subiectae 31 sunt). In fact, the confidentiality of judicial investigations is equally sanctioned by the Italian penal code.32 Requiring secrecy during judicial proceedings is a basic form of respect, though unfortunately many journalists refuse to recognize this and proceed in the opposite manner, disregarding the most basic norms of ethical and professional conduct. Many 38 do not hesitate to place the accused on the front pages, as if they were already guilty as a matter of certainty, only then to “forget” to publicize news of their innocence. Unfortunately, these matters relating to court proceedings (which certainly extend well beyond abuse cases) are discussed very infrequently, especially by those who exercise the power and responsibility of the written word. The phenomenon of child sexual abuse has many sad and disheartening aspects. From these, we can only hope to draw the appropriate lessons.

29.Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, “De delictis gravioribus Congregationi pro doctrina fidei reservatis,” May 18, 2001, in Enchiridion Vaticanum, Bologna, Edb, 2004, vol. 20, No. 718. 30.Ibid., No. 719. 31.Ibid., No. 723. 32.As Monsignor Scicluna further specifies: “A poor English translation of this text has caused many to believe the would impose secrecy to hide the facts. But this is not the case. The confidentiality of judicial investigations serves to protect the reputation of everyone involved: the victims first and foremost, and then the accused clergy, who have a right – as anyone does – to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise. The Church does not like to make a spectacle of justice. The rules on sexual abuse have never been intended to prohibit the reporting of offences to civil authorities” (Avvenire, March 13, 2010, 5). Protecting Children in the Catholic Church

Hans Zollner, SJ

The issue of sexual abuse of minors committed by clergy is constantly returning to the forefront of media attention. Recently, through various news outlets and publications, this focus has been particularly sustained in Italy, France and Argentina. There 39 is no doubt that the protection of children and youth against sexual violence remains a central problem in the Church and in society. Catholics who closely identify with the Church and its mission remain deeply disturbed by this. This concern was expressed once again by the pope on at least two recent occasions: in the conversation with superiors general of male religious orders,1 and then again in the preface that he himself wrote for a book whose author is a victim of abuse.2 There, Pope Francis writes: “How can a priest, in the service of Christ and his Church, come to cause such evil? How can one who has consecrated his life to leading the little ones to God, end up instead devouring them in what I have called ‘a diabolical sacrifice’ which destroys both the victims and the life of the Church? Some victims take their own lives, in the end. These deaths weigh on my heart, on my conscience, and on that of the whole Church. To their families I offer my sentiments of love and sorrow, and I humbly ask forgiveness. It is an absolute monstrosity, a horrendous sin, radically contrary to everything that Christ teaches us.”3

1.Pope Francis, “Take the Gospel without Tranquilizers: A Conversation with the Superiors General”, in Civ. Catt. 0117, 8-17. 2.Cf. Daniel Pittet, La perdono, padre, Milan, Piemme, 2017. 3.The text was reproduced by the popular Italian newspaper La Repubblica under the “Pedophilia, the pope’s pain: How can a priest cause so much evil?” February 13, 2017. The pope had met Daniel Pittet, author of the book, HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

Faced with this horror, complaining is understandable, but the words of the pope call for firm conclusions and commensurate action. In the coming months and years, more news of this sort will continue to spread – and there will be many such cases, especially if we consider the situation throughout the world. There will be more terrible testimonies of the deliberate or tolerated failures of fundamental pastoral care, both human and Christian. But these will also serve as reminders that demand resolute vigilance. Only when an abscess is cut open and drained can the healing process begin. Without doubt, this process has started very late, after decades, and has not progressed everywhere at the same speed. This is explained somewhat by the fact that the Catholic 40 Church, with its global network of institutions, presents a mix of attitudes and methods adopted to uncover and prevent the sexual abuse of minors. The universal commitment of the Church to prevent sexual abuse has encountered very different cultural situations. Regarding this challenge, it need only be noted that the Catholic Church has about 1.3 billion followers spread throughout 200 countries, and cannot be construed as a monolithic unit. For example, among these Catholic structures, there are more than 220,000 schools operating in multiple economic, legal, and cultural contexts. The same applies to about 1,450 Catholic universities, hundreds of thousands of kindergartens, nursery

at the Vatican in 2015, on the occasion of the Year of Consecrated Life. “I could not imagine that this man, so passionate and enthusiastic about Christ, had been the victim of abuse by a priest. And yet,” continues the pope, “that’s what he told me, and his suffering moved me deeply. I saw once again the tremendous damage caused by sexual abuse, and the long and painful journey that awaits the victims. I am happy that others can read his testimony today and discover how far evil can enter into the heart of a servant of the Church.” Daniel chose to meet his tormentor after forty-four years and has reached out: “The wounded child is now,” the pope continues, “a man standing – fragile, but standing. I’m very impressed by his words: ‘Most people fail to understand that I do not hate. I have forgiven him and I built my life on that forgiveness.’ Thank you, Daniel, because this testimony will break down the wall of silence that stifled scandals and suffering, and shed light on a terrible blind spot in the life of the Church. His words open the way to a just healing and grace of reconciliation, and also help pedophiles to become aware of the terrible consequences of their actions.” PROTECTING CHILDREN IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH schools, centers for care of the disabled and for social assistance, hospitals, shelters, and so on. In some countries – for example, Australia, Ireland, Germany, Austria – in reaction to the scandals, the Church has introduced very detailed preventative measures and provides professional training and regulations for employees at every level and in every sector. But there is also a strong passive resistance that in various local churches moves in the opposite direction with respect to the commitment to discover, intervene in, and prevent sexual abuse. Already from this simple fact, you can see that – contrary to what is perceived and portrayed from the outside – the Catholic Church, at least in this regard, does not have hierarchically structured guidelines or a supervisory structure that would be normal in public administration or in the economic sector. 41

Pontifical initiatives However, given what has become clear in the universal Church, the balance has finally shifted slowly but firmly in the right direction. Church leaders at the highest levels, above all Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, have asked us to face seriously the issue of sexual abuse of minors committed by clergy. Even before becoming pope, the then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, had made a number of significant decisions to tackle cases of abuse. The statute of limitations was extended, in order to protect victims, and abuse against people with mental disabilities likewise came to be considered a crime. Pope Francis has continued and intensified the line of his predecessor, especially with the establishment of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (Pontificia Commissio pro Tutela Minorum). He created, at the level of the universal Church, the structural and material conditions needed to accelerate, with consistency and efficiency, the protection of children throughout the Catholic Church. Pope Francis has established the commission as a consultative body on this issue. He has welcomed some proposals of the commission, such as, for example, holding a day of prayer for those who have been victims of abuse, and instituting criminal proceedings against HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

those bishops and religious superiors who silenced or ignored abuse. We have started down the right path, but it is a long and demanding one. Back in 2011, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had urged all episcopal conferences to draw up Guidelines for Cases of Sexual Abuse. Large religious orders have also engaged in this task. They must explain, among other things, what is done in individual countries to prevent abuse, how to act with regard to those who have suffered abuse, what legal action to take against the culprits, and what needs to change in priestly formation to prevent abuse. We continue to ask why there are no uniform guidelines for the whole Church. It should be said in this regard, first of all, that 42 the juridical norms apply, of course, throughout the Catholic Church. This includes the procedures which each bishop must follow in every part of the world in the same way. This starts with a preliminary investigation, and, if it is concluded that the accusations are founded, the case must be submitted to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, where it is decided at which level the next steps are to be taken. Naturally, it would be desirable that these criminal trials take place in the territory of origin. This would facilitate a faster and more transparent process. But this is prevented by the fact that in few local Churches are there canonists in sufficient numbers and properly trained, with a specialization in penal law, and therefore the process cannot be carried out by those with the required expertise. Also worth considering is that the centralization of processes can help prevent the possibility of cover-up by local superiors.

Differing cultural situations Aside from what for better or worse is the same for all for the universal Church, it should be reiterated that in certain countries we find very different starting situations with regard to cultural views on abuse and its prevention. This includes how sexuality, emotions, and relationships are lived to how they are spoken of or even if they are talked about. The Catholic Church is present in traditionally Confucian countries such PROTECTING CHILDREN IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH as South Korea, and in very conservative countries, as regards sexual relations, such as largely Hindu India. It is in thousands of African cultures, and among the indigenous peoples of the Andean countries. The meeting of the Christian faith with these many faces of humanity is called inculturation. This influences the celebration of the liturgy and issues with which the Church engages more deeply, such as how to act – or not – toward the thorny issue of sexual abuse of minors committed by clergy. Almost six years since the exhortation by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, five of the world’s 112 episcopal conferences have not yet even established a project to develop their Guidelines for Cases of Sexual Abuse. These are predominately West African francophone conferences. 43 Also in the realm of civil and criminal law we find different ways of dealing with cases of abuse by state institutions, and this is known to influence the course of action of the Church. An issue frequently debated – and sometimes it happens that in the same country there are different federal states with different norms – is the level of obligation for the individual citizen or for certain professionals to report cases of abuse to the proper authorities. It ranges from the unconditional obligation for those who suspect abuse to report to the police, to intermediate positions – countries where doctors or psychologists can report to the police or report to governmental social services, who may in turn decide whether to report to the police – to states in which there are no specified norms. We must add that in many countries, even when the norms are fixed and defined on paper, they are not considered really binding. In large parts of Africa and Asia, and to some degree Latin America, and parts of Eastern Europe, the sexual abuse of children is still not perceived as an urgent and recurrent problem. This is surprising because all the statistics clearly show that the sexual abuse of minors is not a rare phenomenon. The figures are, in fact, quite high: 10-15% of boys and 15-20% of girls under the age of 18 are exposed to violence or sexual assault. The most common environment, though also most hidden, is the occurrence of abuse within the family; it raises many urgent HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

questions about how we can help families to live well together, and to foster healthy relationships. In most Southern countries of the world, those who hold positions of responsibility must take the lead in recognizing the problem. In some areas, the idea persists that the sexual abuse of children by clergy is a problem only of the decadent liberal countries of the West. Let us take a concrete example: the question of prevention and the protection of children from the perspective of the bishops of the Philippines, and of religious superiors in Rwanda. Listening to them, one learns that these bishops and provincial superiors place the discourse on sexual abuse of children and young people in a different and broader context than is done in richer countries. In poor countries, children and youth suffer brutal treatment of 44 many kinds: those related to war, polluted water, hunger, lack of security, and exploitation of their labor beyond exhaustion. In a world of such violence, suffering sexual assault is a crime not much different than others. Rather, sexual abuse is considered part of a broader suffering of children and youth. If, therefore, these countries have to establish bodies, both ecclesial and secular, to fight against sexual violence, it must be done in a broader context, aimed at guaranteeing all the rights of childhood. Otherwise you run the risk that the insistence on fighting against sexual abuse be dismissed as Western ideology, which disregards the real-life experience of these countries, often inhumane, and arises from the typically Western neurosis around sexuality.

Increase awareness and commitment to prevention Despite this, it is possible to say that consciousness of the issue has been raised publicly in the Church, in the center and in the peripheries (to take an expression used by the pope). In Fiji, as in Malawi, in Mexico as in Poland, we now speak openly about abuse in the Church (and at the same time in their respective societies) and its prevention. Many places are now working seriously to deal with cases of abuse, and to realize, or at least to tend toward, prevention. And this prevention is effective, as statistics show. In the United States, where they have taken more severe measures towards prevention than elsewhere, there have been few complaints of PROTECTING CHILDREN IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

abuse committed in recent years. In Germany and Austria, the Catholic Church has issued detailed guidelines for prevention in every diocese, in religious orders, schools, social service centers for the youth, and has put in place corresponding standards for formation and training. The Church here is setting the standard, and this is recognized also by secular institutions. But it would be dangerous to believe that the task is now completed and that therefore “from now on, everything is just fine.” The issue cannot be allowed to fade into the background. First of all, we must continue to deal with cases of abuse in the Church, in society, and in families; it would be an illusion to believe that we can completely eradicate the evil that is done to children only with preventative measures. Second, ongoing commitment to 45 this is a natural consequence of the way Jesus behaved with children. This alone should urge those who have responsibility at all levels to do everything possible to protect children. Without a doubt, over the past five years sensitivity among Church authorities to this issue has increased, as has the willingness to act. But there is not yet everywhere a standing commitment to prioritize the protection of children and young people from sexual abuse, and to manifest this commitment with concrete and effective measures. And this is due to various reasons, one of which may be socio-cultural. The ability to collaborate on the issue of prevention with state institutions or NGOs depends on the position that the Church occupies in each country. In a predominantly Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist country, there may or may not be cooperation depending on the degree of tolerance and good will extended by the competent authorities. A case study: In a particular country where Christians make up a small minority and are persecuted by extremists of all kinds, the religious sister who directed an orphanage discovered that a teacher had sexually abused some of the girls. On the basis of her own conscience, bearing in mind the laws of her own country, and considering the obligations toward European sponsors, she wanted and needed to denounce this abuse. However, she did not know how the police would react: the HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

teacher was the mayor’s son and both belonged to the dominant religion. The nun thought the police might not react at all, or that any prosecution would have eventually led to the closing down of the orphanage or that the negative publicity would trigger the persecution of Christians under the pretext: “How could the Christians permit this in their institutions?”

The “Centre for Child Protection” at the Gregorian University Specific prevention programs tend not only to prevent sexual crimes, but also, and above all, make broadly known the conditions, contributing factors, and consequences of sexual abuse, and urge all to act accordingly. In this field, the Church, with its educational, academic, charitable, and pastoral 46 institutions could exercise leadership on a global scale, not only for other religious communities, but for all possible types of bodies and governments, as it does already today in some countries, especially in the global South. The Centre for Child Protection (CCP) – which carries out its mission at the Pontifical Gregorian University thanks to the generous support of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, and the missio of the Aachen diocesan Kindermissionswerk (the child welfare organization of the Catholic Church in Germany) – is dedicated to the prevention of the abuse of minors.4 The CCP promotes the work of prevention, primarily in those countries where, so far, little has been done. It also forms people to work for this purpose locally; it offers help for the protection of children and young people to those men and women working in the ecclesial context in parishes, schools, and kindergartens. How can I tell if a child suffers or has suffered abuse? What can I do to help? What can I do to find out who is guilty? What can I do to create a safe space for children and for young people in a or a Catholic school? Combatting sexual abuse is a Herculean task, which requires the collaboration of nearly everyone in the Church and in society. It is a matter of changing how we see and how we act, which, as we know, happens only

4.For more information on the CCP, cf. www.childprotection.unigre.it. PROTECTING CHILDREN IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

slowly. This is why the CCP is dedicated to formation: with teaching and training (also available in an e-learning platform, with a certificate in Safeguarding of Minors), research, and the organization of conferences. The CCP does all this in close collaboration with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, especially in the formation of candidates for priesthood and in the formation of leaders in the Church. The CCP intends to offer a lasting impetus to prevention work in the Church, at the universal level, and as a platform for the exchange of ideas and best practices in the prevention of abuse, which extends to all countries and continents. The fight against sexual abuse will endure for a long time, and we have to say goodbye to the illusion that the mere introduction of rules or guidelines is a complete solution. It 47 involves a radical conversion, of adopting the attitude that the commitment to prevention and the decision to bring justice to the victims of abuse will not be set aside when the public attention to the crisis fades. The message of the God of Jesus Christ is the source and strength for this activity, and so reflection continues on the core of the gospel. For God loves above all the small and the vulnerable: “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Mk 10:14, Mt 19:14, Lk 18:16). The Spiritual Wounds of Sexual Abuse

Hans Zollner, SJ

In a meeting with Pope Francis, a victim of sexual abuse said with profound sadness and desperation: “Jesus had his mother nearby when he faced suffering and death. But my mother, the Church, left me all alone in my time of pain.” These few words 48 express the horror of abuse, especially the sexual abuse of minors in the Church. They show how much the Church’s attitude and that of her leaders needs to change. An especially poignant, religious-spiritual factor comes into play when the perpetrator is a man of the Church. When someone is abused by a biological father, there is always someone to turn to for help, namely, God. But when a priest commits abuse, that is someone who by his very office represents God and is referred to theologically as an alter Christus, then the victim’s image of God is obscured and he or she can quickly fall into a dismally dark abyss of loneliness. Of course, this is not limited to cases where the abuser is a man of the Church but when it does involve a priest it takes on a dimension that is qualitatively different and serious, especially in those for whom faith, liturgy and a relationship with God are important realities. For many this results in a compromised or completely broken life of faith and lack of trust in God.

The victims: their perspective and their suffering Those who have been subjected to unspeakable suffering by representatives of the Church and who report the crime and wish to be heard are too frequently simply turned away or reprimanded for being troublemakers who would do better to keep their mouths shut. This can also lead to serious spiritual trauma over and above the psychological and physical trauma of abuse. Yet THE SPIRITUAL WOUNDS OF SEXUAL ABUSE the incredible burden this entails is not clear to everyone in the Church, even to those in positions of responsibility. One would presume that those whose mission it is to preach the Gospel would understand better than anyone the extent to which some events – in this case, one causing extreme trauma – can weigh upon the core of a believer’s spirituality. And yet it is surprising how rarely this is the case. This might also help to explain why some bishops and religious superiors pay greater attention to the political, legal and psychological implications of sexual abuse than the spiritual and theological aspects. So it comes as no surprise that victims often view the Church’s way of reacting to accusations of abuse as if she were an institution concerned only with herself rather than acting as “a loving mother” (significantly, Pope Francis uses these 49 very words to begin his by which he admonishes bishops and religious superiors to assume greater responsibility for uncovering and preventing abuse).

The Church: holy and sinful The Church was founded by its Lord Jesus Christ and commissioned by him to announce the Good News: God loves us, is merciful toward us and does everything to save us, even giving us his Son who gave his life for us. For the past 2,000 years, countless people have carried out this task and dedicated their lives to making the Church a marvelous sacrament of salvation to the poor, the sick and those who are especially vulnerable. At the same time, we must acknowledge that in the Church there have always been people who have acted in a way that is diametrically opposed to what they, the Church and Jesus proclaim. It is not without reason that popes have repeatedly and firmly over the last decades asked for pardon for the sins and crimes committed by men of the Church.

The return: searching for and appealing to Christ Confronting the topic of the sexual abuse of minors by priests is inherently upsetting and agonizing. We are speaking of sex and violence, the abuse of trust, ruined lives and hypocrisy, all done within the bosom of the Church. Any attempt to bypass or marginalize these problems arises from an impulse of self- HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

preservation and a desire to protect the institution. Not only modern psychology but Jesus himself and many spiritual masters after him have warned us about the unforeseeable and tragic consequence of such avoidance: whoever refuses to confront a personal dark side will pay for it more dearly sooner or later. The film Spotlight, which expresses contempt for decades of priestly sexual abuse and its cover-up, presents this mechanism very well. We must never forget that the sexual abuse of minors by clergy happens throughout the world.1 Considering the stance of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith – the office of the Church entrusted with handling penal processes against accused priests – and despite the fact that there are places in the world where the data is incomplete, it is clear enough that 50 abuse is occurring in virtually every local Church. The frequently asserted argument that sexual violence toward minors is really only a problem in the crumbling Church of the West is patently false and misleading. It detracts from the fact that there are clearly factors in the Church’s life that are conducive to abuse or that hide or impede its discovery and punishment. Precisely by confronting this problem within a global perspective, we have a clearer perception of how the Catholic Church is a religious community spread throughout the world, infinitely multiform yet stratified, exhibiting remarkable consistency in its daily practice and an invariable set of elements wherever it is found.2 Again, it is not easy to confront openly the evil of sexual abuse and the suffering it causes. This especially holds true when one is not directly responsible for dealing with it. But throughout the world, priests and bishops are held responsible for the good or evil that happens in the Church and for what their brother priests and bishops do. And whatever happens in their daily life, priests are considered representatives of Christ and of his Church, and in fact they effectively are so, according to what is theologically said

1.Cf. B. Böhm - J. Fegert et al. “Child Sexual Abuse in the Context of the Roman Catholic Church. A Review of Literature from 1981-2013.” In the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse 23 (2014) 635-656. 2.Cf. C. J. Scicluna - H. Zollner et al. “Verso la Guarigione e il Rinnovamento. Chiesa e abusi sessuali sui minori.” Pontificia Università Gregoriana, February 6-9, 2012. THE SPIRITUAL WOUNDS OF SEXUAL ABUSE

of them. The more distant one is from the Church, the more it is perceived as a uniform and monolithic entity. This is the reason why every act of abuse committed by one priest is collectively associated with all priests and the Church.

Priests: their state and formation The impact of abuse perpetrated by Catholic clergy is not concerned with their function in itself, that is their priestly function of mediation and their possession of a real, spiritual power. Indeed, abuse is more or less present in every religion, be it Islam (we only have to recall the frightening statistics of abuse committed in the madrasas of Great Britain), Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism or natural religions. Also celibacy is a requirement not only for clerics in the Latin Rite Catholic 51 Church but also in other religions there are priests and monks – both men and women – who live according to the celibate state of life.3 Clearly then the elements that follow are not exclusive to the Catholic Church or reserved to her clerics.

Managing one’s sexuality Living as a sexual being according to one’s state in life is a continual challenge. Many priests who have promised a life of celibacy do not have recourse to sufficient human and spiritual support. The promise should be made only after a serious process that proceeds along the various stages of development, follows a clear program of integration, and includes solid psychological and spiritual support that is ongoing after ordination. Despite the clear and excellent norms developed for priestly formation – repeated in Ratio Fundamentalis published December 8, 2016, by the Congregation for the Clergy4 – formation in human maturation still only occupies a secondary role in the

3.The telling statistics of the two John Jay Reports in the United States and in Australia the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has revealed that abuse committed by clergy in various religious communities, including Muslim spiritual guides and Rabbis, is more or less equivalent to that found in Christian denominations. 4.Cf. G. Cucci - H. Zollner, “Il nuovo documento sulla formazione sacerdotale,” in Civiltà Cattolica, 2017, II, 61-75. HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

overall education of future religious and priests. If we consider that the present vocational crisis is, to a large degree, due to individuals falling in love – many admit doing so for the first time – and that a desire for conjugal and family life only occur subsequently, we should not be surprised that those who have the responsibility of formation do not invest the energy and time where it is needed most.5 In-depth psychology speaks about defense mechanisms that arise from the removal or denial of vital impulses. On a spiritual level, we can call this acedia and inertia: apathy and laziness. We might also attempt to formulate the thesis that the failure of formators to take spiritual experiences and human processes seriously – and to accept the eventual decisions made by 52 those they are responsible for – is transferred either directly or indirectly to those being formed in their own path of formation. These processes of psychological repression can run the risk of leading an individual to act out what he has in theory rejected or disregarded – in this case sexual desire – as it is mixed in with other non-satisfied needs. This happens when one either actively or passively suppresses everything pertaining to sexual desire, or expresses it in an unchecked manner, as happens in the case when one pursues the path of least resistance to act upon impulses: in this case toward children and youth.

The understanding of priesthood in the Catholic Church The way in which the ministry and role of priests in the Catholic Church is conceived plays a major role in the abuse of minors by clergy being revealed only much later. In many parts of the world, priests continue to be viewed as irreproachable messengers of God who exercise special powers, authority and a capacity for governance derived more or less directly from God. Such an image of the priesthood may lead the faithful to an inviolable idealization that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to criticize the figure of the priest or even imagine that he is capable of committing evil.

5.We can also here refer to the data on sexual abuse in the report commissioned by the German Conference of Catholic Bishops (Deutsche Bischofskonferenz, or D.B.K.), and the initial results of an international study carried out by the Centre for Child Protection of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. THE SPIRITUAL WOUNDS OF SEXUAL ABUSE

This at least partly explains something that is inconceivable to those outside the Church. Those who suffer abuse often say that when the sexual contact occurred, it was they, not the priest, who felt guilty and dirty. Others experienced the physical and emotional attention of a priest as something that made them extraordinary, something that “raised them to the level of the priest.” If we want an answer to why so many victims were not able to speak about their abuse until years or decades later, one of the reasons is the conflicted conscience and the dilemma of perceiving oneself as the victim of an irrepressible act of violence and the enormous weight of having to attribute this cruelty to a priest. In this regard, we should point out that many victims of sexual violence were close to the priests who abused them because they were chaplains or leaders of youth groups or 53 with them in a college setting. Victims were often particularly diligent and trusting of others: a trust that was subsequently taken advantage of and destroyed. Whoever in infancy or youth or as a candidate for priesthood learned that a priest is always blameless can easily develop the mindset that he does not need to justify himself to anyone. Anyone endowed with sacred powers can take anything he wants for himself. That kind of mentality can explain, at least in part, why some priests who have abused children or young people deny doing so or believe that they themselves were victims or merely accomplices (“he seduced me,” “he liked it”), often making them blind to the suffering they have caused. We see that some candidates for the priesthood understand their state as seminarians or priests as a profession in the commonly held sense of the term. Consequently, as soon as the workday is done they do in private things that are not reconcilable with their priestly life. It seems that they are yearning for the privileges, power and beauty of that state in life but they are not ready to pay the price specified in the Gospel – poverty, chastity and obedience – and essentially to give up their lives for Jesus.

A bunker mentality Finally, another ingredient of the typically Catholic mix that makes abuse possible and impedes its discovery is a bunker HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

mentality. The Church wants to resolve her problems from the inside and exclude the public dimension because she is afraid of her own reputation and the reputation of the institution. In this way, the Church forgets both the suffering of the victims (who must be kept silent) and a law of mass media that says: “Sooner or later things will come out in the open. Take the initiative, acknowledge the error, ask for pardon honestly, and you will be believed.” Another factor often comes into play, namely, a unilateral interpretation of the special link and responsibility that binds a bishop to his priests. On the one hand, not enough consideration is given to the fact that paternal care entails not only pardon and mercy but also just punishment. On the other 54 hand, there is an esprit de corps on account of which bishops first think of protecting their own rather than the good of the vulnerable and needy. We should briefly mention that many perpetrators of sexual abuse manage to elude or even manipulate their superiors so that the latter are too prone to believe whatever the former promise them (“I won’t do it anymore”). The result is that they exercise a false mercy. This also leads them to the erroneous reasoning that they need no outside help because they believe they have all the means and strategies necessary to solve the problem themselves. In this way, they dig themselves into their own bunker and fail to see that they have constructed a closed system as we saw in Ireland or in the Catholic communities in the United States and Australia, all places that have seen a string of frighteningly frequent and longstanding abuse. The same is true for some religious congregations and new spiritual communities founded around the time of the and which for many years, particularly for the number of vocations they were attracting, held out great hope for the Church. In the last few years, however, we have seen that several of these religious groups – some of which assumed strongly conservative ecclesial positions tied to traditional forms of liturgy and theology – ended up being centers of various forms of serious abuse. Among the more notable cases are the (Mexican foundation), the Community of THE SPIRITUAL WOUNDS OF SEXUAL ABUSE

the Beatitudes (French), the Comunità Missionaria di Villaregia in northern Italy, the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (primarily in Peru), as well as the group that gravitated around Fr. Fernando Karadima in Santiago de Chile. Such cases did not always involve the abuse of minors but rather of protected persons, including male and female novices and students. Under the pretext of vows of obedience and strict religious observance, extreme relationships of dependence were formed. Criticism was not allowed and fundamental norms of the spiritual tradition were simply ignored, like the separation between the internal and external forums, not to mention abuses of sacramental confession (the seal of confession or the absolutio complicis, that is, the absolution of someone with whom the priest-confessor himself broke the sixth commandment). 55 We could write entire chapters on the personalities of the founders of the above congregations. Some of them, because of sexual abuse, financial irregularities or plagiarism, were expelled from their own communities or sanctioned with ecclesiastical penalties, even including . Often they were able to boss others around and lord it over the operations of their congregations for decades, and no one would dare question their absolute power and demands, which were speciously justified in a spiritual way. Since there was no control mechanism and no system of checks and balances, they were able to do whatever they wanted. Not all of these founders were or are priests, and this unveils an even more basic problem: when an (ecclesial) environment isolates itself and shuns open communication or an adequate process of formation and human development, the risk of abuse increases exponentially. Blurred lines of governance structures and ambiguous hierarchical boundaries can also create the conditions in which abuse happens too easily. For example, the so-called Deetman Report – a document outlining abuse in the Dutch Church – hints at this. It is shocking to see how many unresolved procedural issues were brought to light by this scandal. When responsibilities are poorly defined, people find it easy to wash their hands of any responsibility. HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

Neither the bunker mentality nor chaotic organization helps matters. The authority and guidance of bishops and religious superiors are necessary precisely because it is a matter of protecting human lives. And in any case, the power associated with these roles necessitates both external control and interior dedication, which help those in authority to truly understand their positions and their duties in the sense given by Jesus: “Whoever is greatest among you must become your servant” (Mt 23:11).

Questions and tasks for everyone In a society that holds credibility as one of its highest values, the crisis provoked by sexual abuse places some decisive questions 56 before us: Are we able to reenvision our way of being Church? We have to ask ourselves to what extent we refuse to do so, to what degree we intend to do away with injustice and the harm that has been caused, to what extent we think we can return to the pastoral work as soon as possible in the wake of the scandals, and to what extent our gaze is fixed upon ourselves, blocking our energies and apostolic creativity. Pope Benedict XVI, who consistently took measures against the perpetrators of abuse, even at the highest levels, left us an excellent example in his retirement of how one can exercise power (in the Church). Pope Francis never tires of condemning the plague of clericalism, careerism and a life of comfort, and of preaching a return to the simplicity and immediacy of the Gospel. Some questions emerge when we apply these considerations to the causes and effects of the spiritual trauma suffered by those who have been subjected to abuse: How can we conform the exercise of power to the Gospel? How can men and women complement one another in their respective ways of exercising and handling power? What can we learn from what the social and economic arena calls corporate governance and compliance so that we can assume an effective co-responsibility and adopt verifiable control mechanisms? What is the true essence of priestly ministry and how much can or should the power of governance exercised by priests in parishes and other institutions be delegated to collaborators? How can THE SPIRITUAL WOUNDS OF SEXUAL ABUSE the discernment of spirits be exercised on an individual and communal level in a manner that will help find a way to effectively navigate between entrenchment and chaos? How can bishops and religious superiors learn to weigh decisions and make them at the right moment? How should they be effective formators of future priests and religious? How much of an investment should be made in the formation of those who are themselves destined to form others? We can see how difficult it is both for those who hold positions of leadership in the Church and for the simple faithful to have faith in Jesus and believe his words, “The truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32). It is not easy to look pure and simple truth in the face. It takes courage and a strong will to place oneself in front of reality, however upsetting and sad it may be. It would 57 be good for Christians to trust God more than themselves, especially in difficult times when faced with individual and institutional failures. In such situations, anyone willing to open his eyes, mind and heart is not only able to know things about himself and others on a human and spiritual level but also to open himself to the grace of conversion and mercy, which is promised to all those who sincerely confess their failures. This also entails a willingness to open oneself to embarrassment, discouragement, doubts and mistrust. None of it is easy. But to anyone willing to shoulder these things with faith in Jesus Christ and find support in the community of the faithful, the help of the Holy Spirit is promised. Such an attitude opens a path that, by penetrating the depths of the human heart through “spiritual desolation” (as St. Ignatius would write), with the help of grace can bring solace and even healing. Because it so happens that after years of unspeakable pain and teetering on the brink of depression and suicide, after years and decades of depression and suffering, there are those who find a road that leads to the source of new hope and life. People like this who – as it is said – “have gone through hell” are credible witnesses of the strength of salvation in Jesus Christ. Many people who have given testimony with their lives – lives filled with fear and the risk of falling back into HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

trauma – have subsequently shown that they have understood in an entirely new way the meaning of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. The battle against sexual abuse will last for a while, so we must not delude ourselves into thinking that the solution simply lies in introducing new rules and guidelines. What is needed is a radical conversion and a decisive attitude to render justice to the victims and to make sure it never happens again. The message of the God of Jesus Christ is the source and strength of our efforts and for our continual reflection on the core of the Gospel: because God loves the little ones and the vulnerable most of all. Of course, no one is able to definitively conquer evil, even the abuse of minors. That would be a fatal presumption. 58 But much can be done to minimize the risk and maximize prevention.6 Today, the scales are beginning to tip – slowly but surely – in the right direction throughout the universal Church. Pope Francis has continued and strengthened the line of his predecessor, especially by setting up the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. He has thus created, at the level of the universal Church, the structural and material conditions that will speed up with effectiveness the protection of children throughout the entire Catholic Church.

6.On strategies for prevention, cf. S. Witte, B. Böhm et al, “E-Learning Curriculum ‘Prävention von sexuellem Kindesmissbrauch für pastorale Berufe. Forschungsergebnisse,’” in Nervenheilkunde 34 (2015), 547-554; K. A. Fuchs - H. Zollner, “Prävention in der katholischen Kirche: Drei Beispiele aus der Praxis katholischer Institutionen,” in J. Fegert and M. Wolff (eds.), Sexueller Missbrauch in Institutionen: Entstehungsbedingungen, Prävention und Intervention (Weinheim - Basel, Beltz), 2015. Francis and the Abuse Scandal in Chile Letters to the bishops and to the holy faithful People of God

Diego Fares, SJ

The abuse scandals involving the Church and society in Chile can best be defined as an open, painful and complex wound. This article seeks to convey greater understanding of the process that Francis has instigated to heal this scourge. As this process is ongoing, the main facts and steps taken thus far 59 are presented here chronologically. This article goes on to reflect on the criteria for discernment used by the pope to shed light on a situation in which, as he stated to the Chilean bishops, “we are all involved.” When a journalist questioned Pope Francis, January 18, 2018, she touched a point that encapsulated a number of issues and in some way triggered a process that has lasted for months. She asked about the Bishop Barros case. The pope said: “The day I have proof, I will speak.”1 Three days later, during the pope’s return journey to Rome from Peru, the in-flight press conference was of a previously unseen nature. The journalists who were present agree that the pope made himself available to respond to any questions they wanted to ask him. In fact, the pope asked forgiveness twice for having used the word “proof.” “Here I must apologize, because the word ‘proof’ caused so much pain for so many victims of abuse.”2 A number of details in the pope’s open parlance make it apparent that he had been moving forward with the victims and with those who had been accused.3

1.Francis, Press conference on the return flight from Chile, January 21, 2018. 2.Ibid. 3.The pope receives and listens to victims of abuse almost every week. Another was that Bishop Barros had handed in his resignation, but the pope had refused to accept it, saying that resigning because of the pressures from others DIEGO FARES, SJ

In the pope’s gesture – something much discussed with its striking words asking for forgiveness in the first person – we recognize an approach that Fr. Bergoglio had described in 1987 as a condition “proper to the situational context of discernment: to seek interiorly within yourself a state of being that is similar to the external one... in this way you are better disposed for discernment.”4 The pope accused himself and asked forgiveness for a concrete thing by which he had offended; having accused himself, he could now discern the next steps with greater clarity as this article will now illustrate. On February 19, after a month of prayer and consultations, Francis sent Charles Scicluna to Chile on a mission to listen from the heart and with humility to the victims and 60 to compile a report on the situation. This would give him the most independent and clear diagnosis possible. As the pope later stated in his Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Chile, “the visit of Archbishop Scicluna and Monsignor Bertomeu was born when we saw that there were situations that we did not know how to see and hear.”5 After reading the report presented to him on March 20, Francis took three steps. The first was “to personally meet with some of the victims of sexual abuse, the abuse of power and the abuse of conscience, to listen to them and to ask forgiveness for our sins and omissions.”6 From these meetings we note here both the statements of the victims where they reveal what it meant for them to meet with the pope, and the joy and the hope that the Holy Father derived from the fact that these victims recognized how many people had helped them.7 Francis took the next step on April 8 when he summoned the Chilean bishops to Rome.8 The bishops were gathered in

meant admitting guilt a priori, and that in “each instance, if there are culprits, we investigate.” 4.J. M. Bergoglio, “The Doctrine of Tribulation,” May 3, 2018, in https:// laciviltacattolica.com/the-doctrine-of-tribulation/. 5.Francis, Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Chile, May 31, 2018, 3. 6.Ibid. 7.Cf. Ibid., 6. 8.Francis, Letter to the Bishops of Chile following the report delivered by Arch- bishop Charles J. Scicluna, April 8, 2018. FRANCIS AND THE ABUSE SCANDAL IN CHILE their 115th Plenary Assembly when the pope wrote to them “in order to humbly request your cooperation and assistance in discerning the measures that must be adopted in the short, medium and long term in order to restore ecclesial communion in Chile, in order to remedy the scandal to the extent possible, and reestablish justice.”9 The meeting was held from May 15 to 17 in the Vatican. On May 15 at 4 p.m., the pope met with the 34 bishops who had traveled from Chile, and after having led prayer and meditation, he consigned to each of them a 10-page letter10 with the points that had been discussed. He invited them to devote themselves exclusively to meditation until their next meeting, which took place in the afternoon of Wednesday, May 16. During two subsequent meetings on Thursday, May 17, the 61 pope listened to the bishops, each of whom opened himself up as his prayer had suggested. That same day the pope thanked the bishops for the meeting in another short letter.11 On May 18, in a gesture of openness, the Chilean bishops placed their positions in the hands of the pope (they collectively 12 offered their resignations). On May 31 Francis sent a Letter to 13 the Pilgrim People of God in Chile. On June 11 he accepted – this time yes – the resignation of Bishop Juan Barros of Osorno, and those of two other bishops.14 On June 12 he sent Archbishop

9.Ibid. Msgr. Bertomeu, who had accompanied Archbishop Scicluna on his mission, highlighted the importance of the pope’s exceptional convocation of the entire episcopate, not only for the Church in Chile, but for the Universal Church. Cf. “Bertomeu sobre encuentro del Papa con obispos: ‘Estamos haciendo historia,’” in Soy Chile, May 17, 2018, in www.soychile.cl. 10.Cf. Francis, Meditation during the meeting with the bishops of Chile, May 15, 2018. Currently only available in Italian: www.laciviltacattolica.it/articolo/ papa-francesco-ai-vescovicileni-15-maggio-2018. 11.Cf. Id., Letter to the Bishops of Chile after the meetings held at the Vatican, May 17, 2018. 12.The text of the Chilean bishops’ declaration after the meeting with the pope is widely available: https://es.zenit.org/articles/ultima-hora-todos-los- obisposde-chile-renuncian. 13.Cf. Francis, Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Chile, op. cit. 14.Namely, Bishop Cristián Caro of Puerto Montt and Bishop Gonzalo Duarte of Valparaíso (who had reached the maximum age to be a bishop). Subsequently, June 28, the pope accepted the resignation of two other Chilean DIEGO FARES, SJ

Scicluna to Chile for a new eight-day mission, aimed at showing the pope’s closeness to Osorno and providing concrete technical and legal advice for the diocesan in Chile. In the Mass celebrated in Osorno on Sunday, June 17, Archbishop Scicluna, accompanied by the new apostolic administrator Bishop Jorge Concha, knelt down and said: “Pope Francis has asked me to ask forgiveness from the faithful of the diocese of Osorno and from all the inhabitants of this territory for having deeply offended and wounded them.”15 While this process – which would continue in the short, medium and long term – was being carried out, the apostolic exhortation was published, signed March 19, the feast of St. Joseph, and officially presented on April 9. 62 It is too soon to begin drawing conclusions from this ongoing process. Nonetheless, the benefits of this new way of progressing together and the reality that the pope is promoting among the whole faithful People of God give cause for reflection.

Letter of convocation: a firm belief, a clarity, and a desire The first letter16 is a call for conversion. The pope shares with his 17 brother bishops a firm belief, a clarity and a desire : “the firm belief that the present difficulties are also an opportunity to reestablish trust in the Church, a trust shattered by our errors and sins”; the clarity that “without faith and without prayer, fraternity is impossible”; the desire that “the hope that each of you will accompany me on the inner journey that I have been undertaking in recent weeks,” asking the Spirit to be the one to lead the process. If we are attentive, we can see that the pope has prioritized the task of reestablishing trust in the Church; hence, prioritizing the need to convert from sin and to heal wounds. In this we see his

bishops: Bishop Alejandro Goić Karmelić of Rancagua (who had also reached the age of retirement), and Bishop Horacio del Carmen Valenzuela Abarco of Talca. 15.C. Mardones, “Charles Scicluna pide perdón de rodillas en nombre del Papa,” in La Tercera, June 17, 2018, in www.latercera.com/nacional/noticia/ charles-scicluna-pideperdon- rodillas-nombre-del-papa/210120. 16.Francis, Letter to the Bishops of Chile following the report of Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna, op. cit. 17.Cf. J. M. Bergoglio, “Un’istituzione che vive il suo carisma,” in Id., Nel cuore di ogni padre, Milan, Rizzoli, 2014, 36. FRANCIS AND THE ABUSE SCANDAL IN CHILE discernment of the gravity of this kind of sin, which transforms the one whose task is to protect – that is, the consecrated one – into an abuser, and corrupts the hierarchical Church, which is called on to heal. This is why the task is so delicate: it entails the healing of the Church and its pastors, as well as the victims. Francis used three mechanisms: self-accusation18; paternal stance toward his brothers who are also fathers; and placing himself in the bosom of the faithful People of God as a healthy theological place from where the healing of all others may commence. Here the pope is not only asking the bishops to invite the People of God in general to pray; instead, he is promoting an active listening “from the heart and with humility” to the victims and to those who have helped them, as the most favored part of the People of God. Archbishop 63 Scicluna had collected the testimonies of 64 victims of serious abuses of conscience and power, and sexual abuse perpetrated by several consecrated persons.19

Letter for discernment within a context of prophecy and synodality The second letter – the more significant inasmuch as it communicates the “interior itinerary” that the pope has journeyed – is the meditation that he proposed to the Chilean bishops and gave them to pray upon between their encounters (May 16 and 17). This letter is also significant because the pontiff specifies sins clearly and concretely, without recourse to euphemisms.20 All these, the pope states when referring to

18.The pope has opened the way with the ultimate accusation of himself: “With regard to myself, I recognize, and I would like you to convey this faithfully, that I have made serious errors in the assessment and perception of the situation, in particular through the lack of reliable and balanced information. I now beg the forgiveness of all those whom I have offended and I hope to be able to do so personally, in the coming weeks, in the meetings that I will have with representatives of the people interviewed.” 19.Here in action we see the criteria for discernment that Bergoglio reflected on when reading the Letters that the Jesuit Superior Generals wrote to the members of the Society in times of tribulation. Cf. D. Fares, “Against the Spirit of Fierceness,” September 1, 2018, in https://laciviltacattolica.com/against- the-spirit-of-fierceness/. 20.In notes 22, 23, 24 and 25 the pope names without compromise every sin: not only sexual abuse, but also of authority and power; divisions and DIEGO FARES, SJ

the sins and crimes, must be condemned, and those who are guilty punished; however, this is not sufficient. In order to conduct discernment at the root of these sins, a “background of prophecy” and a “climate of collegiality” are necessary. The prophetic framework of meditation – which serves to grasp an adequate perspective of the problem21 – is the passage where John the Baptist says: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). The pope’s discernment focuses on the fact that we should not be tempted to “shift the problem onto the shoulders of others” (Francis quotes the episode of Jonah thrown from the boat into the sea to calm the storm: see Jonah 1:4-16). And we should not give in to the temptations to avoid going to the root, 64 or to remain caught up in the problem. Pope Francis reminds the pastors of the notable extent to which the Chilean Church over the course of its history had received the grace of being a prophetic Church and of what it was capable of achieving on these occasions. In fact, it was able to promote the Gospel, to celebrate, to generate saints, to create vital spaces for the most humble people, and to denounce human rights violations during the Pinochet dictatorship. And all this fecundity with the tenderness of St. Teresa of the Andes, with the joy of the faithful People in their expressions of popular

fractures cultivated from the seminary onward, and shared also by the faithful; having entrusted diocesan or parish duties, which imply daily and direct contact with minors, to religious expelled from their order because of their immoral conduct; the way to receive complaints, minimizing them; untimely or absent investigations into facts in the public domain with consequent scandal; the pressure exerted on those who were to conduct the trials; the destruction of compromising documents by appointees of ecclesiastical archives; having entrusted educational institutions of seminarians to priests suspected of active homosexuality. 21.The pope notes that the medicine used to alleviate the wounds of abuse, “instead of treating it, seems to have increased its seriousness and pain even further.” In the prologue to the Letters of the Tribulation, Bergoglio pointed out that the principal concern of the Superior Generals, in front of the tribulation encountered by the Jesuits and by those who took part in their apostolic work, was to correctly focus the problem: “It would seem that they feared that the problem would not be properly addressed” (J. M. Bergoglio, “The doctrine of Tribulation,” op. cit., 24). FRANCIS AND THE ABUSE SCANDAL IN CHILE religiosity, with the prophetic gaze of St. Albert Hurtado, with the accompaniment of the Mapuche by the bishops of the South of Chile, and with the courage of Cardinal Silva Henríquez. Francis concludes that “the Holy and Patient faithful People of God sustained and vivified by the Holy Spirit is the best face of the prophetic Church that knows how to place the Lord at the center in daily giving.”22 Following this recalling to memory of the history of the Chilean Church, the pope deals with the crime and the sin of the abuses, but – as noted above – not as a mere concrete question that can be punished as a crime and/or forgiven in confession. He goes further to make a discernment on the root of sin: “It would be irresponsible on our part not to go deeper and seek the roots and structures that allowed these concrete events to happen and perpetuate.” 65 And the discernment is that the Chilean Church has lost its prophetic inspiration and has become the center of attention. Instead of looking at Christ as center, it focused upon itself: “It stopped looking and pointing to the Lord, to look at itself and take care of itself. It concentrated its attention on itself and lost the memory of its origin and its mission. It focused on itself so much that the consequences of this whole process have caused a very high price: its sin has become the center of attention” (the italics are the pope’s). At this point Francis introduces the basic criterion for this discernment, which goes against the “psychology of the elite” that had prevailed in a significant part of the Chilean clergy: the criterion of the whole and of the part, and the place that the hierarchy occupies in the complexity of the faithful People of God. “This awareness of the limit and partiality that we occupy within the People of God saves us from the temptation and pretension of wanting to occupy all the spaces, and especially a place that is not ours: that of the Lord.” It is equally significant that the word “synodality” emerges at the end of the letter, where the pope contrasts the tendency to “scapegoat” with the co-responsibility to “confess weakness

22.Francis, Meditation during the meeting… op. cit. where he mentions Gaudete et Exsultate, 6. DIEGO FARES, SJ

communally [in front of a problem that we can solve] only if we assume it collegially, in communion, in synodality.” This is a synodality that confesses communal sins, a synodality that has been filled with mercy and has been converted into being prophetic by vocation.23 In this prophetic and synodal context, the pope concludes: “We are gathered to discern, not to discuss.”

Letter of thanks and a mandate: The declaration of the bishops The Chilean bishops entrusted their futures to the pope. Their statement was published with Francis’ letter to the bishops 24 after the meetings. In this letter, the pope thanked the bishops for having accepted the invitation to make “a frank discernment” together and to “collaborate” with the measures to be taken. In 66 addition, he points out again the seriousness of the facts, and stresses that the bishops are united “in a single will and with the firm intention to repair the damage caused.” Moreover, heinvites them “to continue in the construction of a prophetic Church that knows how to place at the center what is important: the service of the Lord to the hungry, to the prisoner, to the migrant and to the abused.” The Chilean bishops placed “their duties in the hands of the pope so that he could freely decide for each of them,”25 and “made a collegial gesture to assume – not without suffering – the serious events that have happened so the Holy Father could freely dispose of all of us.”26

Letter of appeal to the holy faithful People of God in Chile At the beginning and at the end of the Letter to the Holy Faithful People of God in Chile the pope affirms that his appeal – or the call as he puts it in Gaudete et Exsultate (GE) – to the People of God is not a routine administrative act or a mere gesture of goodwill; on the contrary, he wanted to “frame things

23.Cf. Id., Meeting with Priests, Consecrated Men and Women and Seminar- ians, Santiago de Chile, January 16, 2018. 24.Cf. Id., Letter to the Bishops of Chile after the meeting …, op. cit. 25.Cf. Declaration of the Chilean Bishops, May 18, 2018, in https://es.zenit. org/articles/ultima-hora-todos-los-obisposde-chile-renuncian. 26.Ibid. FRANCIS AND THE ABUSE SCANDAL IN CHILE in their precise and valuable place and put the issue where it ought to be.” This precise and precious theological place is “the dignity and freedom of the sons of God, in whose hearts the 27 Holy Spirit dwells as in His temple (Lumen Gentium, 9).” The pope tells them: “To appeal to you is to invoke the anointing that you possess as a People of God.”28 Francis asks them not to be robbed of the anointing and not to be afraid of being protagonists: “With you the necessary steps for ecclesial renewal and conversion can be taken, and they will be rooted and enduring.”29 And he exhorts them to be creative and to express what they feel and think, always placing Jesus Christ at the center.30 The anointing of the Spirit, which the pope invokes, imprints a character in the People of God: it gives it a dynamic identity, which makes it inclusive. It is the theology of the People of God 67 of Lumen Gentium (LG), and the Catechism states, “The People of God are marked by characteristics that clearly distinguish it from all other religious, ethnic, political, or cultural groups found in history.”31 At the same time this identity means that it “ceaselessly and efficaciously seeks for the return of all humanity and all its wealth, under Christ the Head in the unity of his Spirit (LG 13).”32 Therefore, when the pope speaks of the People of God, he speaks inclusively of a people of sheep and shepherds,33 and of a people open to all peoples. This dynamic – a “popular dynamic,” Francis says in 34 Gaudete et Exsultate – that “God wanted to enter” must find “concrete mediations through which to manifest itself.”35 The pope exhorts the People of God to have the courage to say to

27.Cf. Francis, Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Chile, op. cit., 1. 28.Ibid., 7. 29.Ibid., 7. 30.Cf. Ibid., 1. 31.Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), No. 782. 32.CCC 831. 33.Cf. Francis, Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Chile, op. cit., 5. 34.GE 6. It is an “operative anointing,” that is, a “seal” that remains forever as a positive disposition toward grace, promise and a guarantee of divine protection, and as a vocation to divine worship and to the service of the Church (cf. CCC 1121). 35.Cf. Francis, Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Chile, op. cit., 1. DIEGO FARES, SJ

their pastors: “I like this; this road seems to me to be the one to follow; this is not good.” And he urges pastors to learn to listen, because the questions of the people, their pains, their battles, their dreams, their struggles, their concerns have a hermeneutic value.36 When the pope speaks of the infallibility in credendo of the faithful People of God, he thinks not of theoretical formulations of faith, but of the Spirit sounding in the interior of the victims who support the cross of the most vulnerable of the faithful People of God. The pope wants to highlight the “thirst for God that only the simple and the poor can know.”37 The healing of the wounds caused by secretive abuse can begin from the recognition of the victims themselves of God’s 68 good work through the people who have helped them “in secret.” The guiding criteria of this “holiness” are the Beatitudes, starting from those who “know how to cry with others, who seek justice with hunger and thirst, who look and act with mercy.”38 The universal call to holiness is the perspective on which the entire apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate is structured.

A new practice and a new hermeneutics Commencing from the direction that the pope and the faithful pilgrim People of God in Chile and its pastors are following, we can draw certain conclusions on the reality of the Church of which we are called to be part. According to the pope’s words, we find ourselves confronted with an invitation to get involved, to go forward seeking together so as to build among all a prophetic, more synodal Church open to hope.39 The prophetic character of this Church develops principally in the “daily silence” of the People of God, which has been

36.Cf. GE 44. 37.Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, 48. 38.Cf. Francis, Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Chile, op. cit., 6. Cf. GE 76; 79; 82. 39.Cf. Francis, Letter to the Bishops of Chile following the report…, op. cit., introduction and conclusion; Id., Letter to the Bishops of Chile after the meeting…, op. cit., conclusion; Id., Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Chile, op. cit., introduction and 7. FRANCIS AND THE ABUSE SCANDAL IN CHILE

“anointed by the Holy Spirit”40 and attests with “stubborn” hope that the Lord does not abandon us to our suffering. Francis says: “The immune system of the Church dwells among the faithful and silent People.”41 This anointing by the Spirit who “blows where it wills”42 fosters a new practice and a new hermeneutics. From these shall spring forth a new way of reflecting theologically, to benefit from it without “entangling ourselves in word games, in sophisticated diagnoses”43 that do not look at pain openly. 44 The new practice is a “new way of heading forth” prompted by the Spirit: without ignoring the pain; giving conflict due recognition; listening, because those who do not listen prevent progress; recognizing the limits, otherwise we cannot progress toward a culture of solicitude and protection together with all 69 the actors who constitute the social reality; and recognizing the power of the Spirit who acts upon and moves many people. Without this way of seeing, says the pope, we will remain at the halfway stage of our journey and enter into a perverse logic. An approach is needed, therefore, that is more synodal, in the true sense of the word. The new hermeneutics takes the principle of incarnation seriously and affirms that “doctrine, or better still, our understanding and expression of it ‘is not a closed system, deprived of dynamics capable of raising questions, doubts, questionings,’45 since ‘the questions of our people, their anxieties, their fights, their dreams, their struggles, possess a hermeneutical value that we cannot ignore,’” 46 unless we want to build lifeless structures.47

40.Id., Letter to the People of God…, op. cit., 7. 41.Francis, Meditation during the meeting…, op. cit., 1. 42.Francis, Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Chile, op. cit., 2, 5. 43.Ibid., Introduction. 44.Cf. Ibid., 2. 45.The pope quotes Gaudete et Exsultate, No. 44, , No. 40, and Dei Verbum, No. 12, which talk of the fact that the work of exegetes makes “the judgment of the Church increasingly mature” and goes one step further in saying that the People of God also contributes to this maturation. 46.Francis, Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Chile, op. cit., 5. Italic ours. 47.Cf. Ibid., 1. DIEGO FARES, SJ

The pope says: “To be an ‘outgoing Church’ that also allows itself to be helped and to be challenged”48 by the Spirit who blows where it wills. Thus, this new way of walking generates a new way of seeing. And Francis adds: “Neither an individual nor an enlightened group can ever advance the claim to be the totality of the People of God, nor to believe the authentic voice of its interpretation. In this sense we must look at ourselves from what I call ‘the psychology of the elite,’ which can appear in our way of dealing with questions.”49 Far from this elitist psychology, the pope shares what he has learned as a pastor: “I learned to discover that popular pastoral care is one of the few spaces where the People of God are freed from the influence of that clericalism which always tries to 70 control and curb the anointing of God of his people.” And he invites us to learn “to listen to the heart of our People and at the same time the heart of God.”50

First published in La Civiltà Cattolica 2018 III 155-166 | 4034 (21 Jul / 4 Aug 2018)

48.Ibid., 5. 49.Id., Letter to the Bishops of Chile following the report…, op. cit.. 50.Id., Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Chile, op. cit., 5. Preparing the Meeting of Bishops on the Protection of Minors

Federico Lombardi, SJ

The meeting and the start of its preparations Faced with widespread and growing discomfort following new reports and revelations of very serious cases of sexual abuse involving members of the clergy, on September 12, 2018, at the end of one of the meetings of the Council of 71 Cardinals – at the time the so-called C9 – it was announced that the Holy Father had decided to call a meeting in the Vatican for February 21-24, 2019. The meeting would be a broad approach to the theme “The Protection of Minors in the Church.” On November 23, 2018, the meeting was effectively convoked, and the Press Office of the Holy See gave the first details about the committee appointed by the pope to organize it, and about the people invited to participate. The committee is composed of four people: Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago; Cardinal , Archbishop of Bombay and Member of the Council of Cardinals; Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta and Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; and Fr. Hans Zollner, SJ, founder and president of the Centre for Child Protection at the Pontifical Gregorian University and member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. Fr. Zollner was indicated as the “reference person” for the committee. The press release adds that the preparation will involve two women who have important tasks within the : Dr. Gabriella Gambino and Dr. Linda Ghisoni, both undersecretaries of the Vatican for the Laity, Family and Life, each being responsible respectively for

La Civiltà Cattolica, En. Ed. Vol. 3, no. 1, article 6, Jan. 19: 10.32009/22072446.1901.6 FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SJ

the section for Life and for the section for the Laity. Naturally, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors will be involved, as will some victims of abuse by the clergy. As for the participants, on the list are the heads of the Oriental Churches, some prefects of the Roman Curia (Doctrine of the Faith; Oriental Churches; Bishops; Evangelization of Peoples; Clergy; Consecrated Life; Catholic Education; and Laity, Family and Life), the presidents of the episcopal conferences, and representatives of the Unions of Superiors General (male and female). So there will be around 200 participants. The pope has announced his intention to attend the meeting. This is certainly a first meeting of its kind, yet it is also clearly part of the process of synodality that Pope Francis is keen to have at 72 the heart of his plan to reform the Church. Faced with a problem that shows itself more and more present and serious in different geographical areas of the world and of the Catholic Church, the pope has ordered the highest representatives of the different ecclesial communities to give a united response at the universal level. The entire Church must choose to live in solidarity, above all with the victims, with their families and with the ecclesial communities wounded by the scandals. As the pope has written, “If one member suffers, all the members suffer together”1 ( Cor 12:26), and the commitment to protect minors has to be taken on clearly and effectively by the entire community, starting with those in the highest positions of responsibility. The participants invited to the meeting are called in their responsibility for the pilgrim people of God as a whole, and not just as representatives or as those in charge of clergy or religious men and women. So they are well aware that they need the assistance and collaboration of experts – laymen and laywomen – to bring the essential contribution of the different communities that they represent into the dynamics of the encounter. Three days is a very short period of time. Yet it would have been difficult to call together so many people from every part of the world at such short notice for a longer period of time. This lets us see the sense of urgency and the serious nature of the issue as well as the intensity of the necessary preparations. PREPARING THE MEETING OF BISHOPS ON THE PROTECTION OF MINORS

The organizers foresee a consultation – as is typical of the “synodal” method – with a questionnaire for participants and the collection of information and documentation to establish a common starting point, as well as materials and proposals to share and make available for further study and any future necessary initiatives. Obviously, the personal preparation of the participants will determine the effectiveness of the meeting: they will need not only to study the general documentation and specific situations of their countries, but also become involved in the seriousness and depth of the problem, including an awareness of the lived experience of victims of sexual abuse and those who are directly in contact with them. As the meeting develops, the following elements will come 73 together: penitential prayer, to establish in sincere conversion, as an unavoidable reference point, true awareness of the suffering and damage suffered by the victims; reflection on the real situation, seen directly and unambiguously and with sufficient information about what has been done and what has not yet been done to face up to it; exchange in working groups and in moments of shared reflection on the actual tasks that need to be adopted and on the ways to verify they have been put into place and are efficacious; the sharing of best practices already put into action for the reform of relations within the Church and for the spread of a true culture of protection of minors in the Church and in society.

The issue emerges: the case of the United States To contribute to the preparation and bring into clearer focus the motives and aims of the meeting, as also the expectations that can be reasonably nurtured, it is worth quickly looking back at the recent history of the issue of sexual abuse in the Church, the different phases it has been through, and the ways the recent popes have responded.1

1.A systematic collection of the main interventions by the popes and the documents about this theme are found on www.vatican.va (from the homepage follow the indications on the bottom right of the page to “Abuse of Minors: the Church’s Response”). Most of the documents and interventions FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SJ

The first widely reported crisis occurred in the United States in 2002. The spread of the phenomenon of sexual abuse by the clergy in the previous decades and the absolutely insufficient line taken to manage it by ecclesial authorities came to light dramatically and sensationally following a famous investigation by The Boston Globe, which was the basis for the major film Spotlight (2015). In this emergency, Pope John Paul II called the American cardinals to Rome in April 2002. In December that year, he accepted the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law from the governance of the Archdiocese of Boston. The big lessons of that crisis were clear, but they were only understood and accepted with difficulty. The phenomenon of clergy abuse was serious and long lasting; thus the selection and 74 formation of candidates to priesthood and the ongoing formation of the clergy needed careful and rigorous renewal. The way the ecclesial authorities generally faced this phenomenon was indefensible: neglecting the depth of suffering of the victims and placing first the defense of the institution, hiding the truth to avoid the scandals, and living under the illusion of being able to resolve the problem by moving those guilty to a new place. The role the media played, however aggressive it often was, forced the Church to respond to the previously largely hidden and undervalued demands of transparency. The gravity of the crimes and the need to reestablish justice for the victims required a new configuration of the relationship and collaboration with civil authorities. Consequently, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) decisively took a wide range of measures. In particular, in the fields of discipline of the clergy, of training ecclesiastical personnel, and in areas under the control of the Church, these measures would prove efficacious in reducing the scale of the phenomenon of abuse and to combat it. They are a valuable set of experiences and valid lessons for other countries.

cited in this article are easily available here. The theme of sexual abuse has been recently addressed in Italian by a special edition of the “Accenti” series under the title Abusi (www.laciviltacattolica.it/accenti) , which is the basis of this Perspectives volume. PREPARING THE MEETING OF BISHOPS ON THE PROTECTION OF MINORS

Nevertheless, the victims continued to come forward and the clamorous cases taken to court kept multiplying, as did the inquiries and studies of the past, both concerning abuse itself and the management of the issue. This continued to disturb the life of the Church in the United States during the entire pontificate of Benedict XVI and continues today, with grave consequences for the image and the credibility of the Church and for the economic situation of various dioceses and religious provinces and their activities. This shows, among other things, that any in-depth renewal must take into consideration the past – John Paul II spoke about the “purification of memory” – which is a high price to pay but it cannot be avoided. Searing echoes came, as is known, in June 2018 with the 75 case of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The former Archbishop of Washington was accused of sexually abusing a minor, an allegation that was found “credible and substantiated” by the review board of the Archdiocese of New York, and of molesting seminarians, and the pope removed him from the . Then came the publication on August 14, 2018, of the Report of the Grand Jury of Pennsylvania on the question of abuse in the Catholic Church during the last 70 years in six dioceses, which lists 300 priest-perpetrators and more than 1,000 victims. The recent assembly of the USCCB, in mid-November, took place in a climate of tension and under great pressure by public opinion. The Holy See asked it not to take any decisions on the matter before the February meeting, to guarantee the coherence of the orientations of the different episcopacies.

The renewal of canonical norms, the Maciel case and the Irish case Meanwhile, thanks to the commitment of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later elected Pope Benedict XVI, to act on the cases of abuse of minors by members of the clergy, the Holy See faced the problem from the point of view of canonical norms. These were updated and renewed in terms of the measures to take, the procedures to follow and who was in charge (the competency came under the responsibility of the FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SJ

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) so as to avoid the cases being dispersed among different hindering their coherence and efficacy of application.2 A very important reference document here was the Motu Proprio Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela (SST) of 2001, which inserted the crime of sexual abuse of minors by a cleric among the “most grave delicts.” Handling these cases comes under the responsibility of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Then, in light of experience, Benedict XVI brought further changes, both in substance and in procedure, which have been confirmed and systematized with a series of new “Norms on the Most Grave Delicts,” which were sent to the bishops 76 by the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by a letter of May 21, 2010 (among the developments, suffice it to note the insertion of child pornography among the “most grave delicts”). These “new norms” are a document of paramount importance. During the pontificate of Benedict XVI, the crisis of the coming to light of the problem of sexual abuse by members of the clergy spread into new areas of the life of the Church. A first clamorous and very serious case emerged and Benedict XVI rose to the challenge. It was that of the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, Marcial Maciel, a Mexican, who in 2005 was recognized as guilty after an investigation carried out at the initiative of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by then-Monsignor Charles Scicluna, the Promotor of Justice. Then, in 2009, by disposition of the pope, came a systematic apostolic visitation of the entire founded by Maciel. Guided by a pontifical commissar, Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, it led to a profound revision of the constitutions of the Legionaries of Christ.

2.Cf. J. I. Arrieta, “L’influsso del cardinal Ratzinger nella revisione del sistema penale canonico,” in Civ. Catt. 2010 IV 430-440. For further info on the theme, we recommend two volumes by C. Papale: Formulario commentato del processo penale canonico (2013) and Il processo penale canonico (2007), Rome, Urbaniana University Press. PREPARING THE MEETING OF BISHOPS ON THE PROTECTION OF MINORS

This episode of exceptional gravity contributed to bringing to light a problem present in other religious and community realities, where a leader’s strong charismatic personality ends up leading to forms of exercise of authority that involve various dimensions of abuse: abuse of power, abuse of manipulation and violation of liberty of conscience, and also sexual abuse. In this thread, we also see the case for example the “Sodality of Christian Life,” founded by Luis Fernando Figari in Peru, which exploded in 2011, and the Priestly Union that arose around Fernando Karadima. This had most serious consequences for the entire Church in Chile, and we will come back to it later. During the pontificate of Benedict XVI the crisis struck the Church successively in different countries, including Germany and Ireland. 77 In Germany, where Guidelines had already been in place on the matter since 2002, the issue rose clamorously to the fore with the case of Canisius College, run by the Jesuits. In 2010 the rector himself invited former students and families to denounce any cases of abuse that had ever happened. The reacted quickly renewing the Guidelines and collaborating actively with the authorities in the country to face the issue of abuse of minors, which was seen to have spread not only in the Catholic Church, but also in many other spheres of society. In traditionally Catholic Ireland, two deeply disturbing reports were published in 2009. They came out of the inquiries by commissions nominated by civil authorities: the Ryan Report about abuse – not just sexual abuse – in schools, which were mostly managed by Catholic institutions; and the , which looked at abuse over 30 years by members of the clergy of the archdiocese of Dublin. The pope convoked the Irish bishops to Rome, published a wide- ranging Pastoral Letter addressed to all the Catholics of the country (March 19, 2010) – this was his broadest and most complete pastoral document on the issue – and set up an apostolic visitation of the dioceses and seminaries of all Ireland, which lasted from November 2010 to March 2012 and would give important indications for renewal. FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SJ

The personal commitment of Benedict XVI in this dramatic issue is seen by his repeated encounters with victims during apostolic journeys to various countries (the United States, Great Britain, Malta, Australia, Germany).

The Circular Letter on the ‘Guidelines’ In May 2011 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith sent an important circular letter to all the episcopal conferences with the aim of “assisting conferences in developing Guidelines for dealing with cases of sexual abuses of minors perpetrated by clerics” in light of the “new norms” established by the pope in 2010. Each conference was asked to prepare Guidelines or to revise those already existing; 78 indications were given for preparing these documents to ensure all the essential points were covered; the request was made that these texts reach the Congregation within one year to allow for any observations to be made. The aim of the Guidelines should have been naturally above all that of protecting minors, but also ensuring a shared direction in this area by the bishops of each individual conference. To help the episcopal conferences and the religious congregations understand the different aspects of the issue and face them in their own countries by developing Guidelines and other adequate instruments, in February 2012 an international symposium was organized. It took place at the Pontifical Gregorian University, was encouraged by the Holy See – in particular the Congregations for the Doctrine of the Faith and for Bishops – and had as its title “Toward Healing and Renewal.” Many experts and above all the representatives of 110 episcopal conferences and superiors general of 35 religious institutes took part. The symposium was coordinated by Fr. Hans Zollner.3

3.The Acts were edited by C. Scicluna - H. Zollner - D. Ayotte and published in several languages: in English Toward Healing and Renewal: The 2012 Gregorian Symposium on Sexual Abuse of Minors, Mahwah, Paulist Press International, 2012; in Italian Verso la Guarigione e il Rinnovamento, Rome - Bologna, Pont. Univ. Gregoriana - EDB, 2012. For a synthetic report of the congress cf. H. Zollner, “‘Verso la guarigione e il rinnovamento.’ Un Simposio alla Gregoriana sugli abusi sessuali,” in Civ. Catt. 2012 I 574-584. For further understanding from a psychological and cultural perspective, cf. two articles: G. Cucci - H. Zollner, PREPARING THE MEETING OF BISHOPS ON THE PROTECTION OF MINORS

At the same time, the Centre for Child Protection (CCP) was founded by the Institute for Psychology at the Gregorian. Its specific aim was the formation of personnel specialized in the prevention of sexual abuse for the protection of minors. For several years now the center has organized courses that lead to a diploma, and more recently a Licentiate in Safeguarding. The center has also developed a long-distance e-learning program, especially for the regions of the Church – for example, in Africa, Asia and Latin America – that have fewer resources or personnel able to be formed in this sphere, collaborating with local institutions to perfect programs suitable for the very different cultural needs. As far as the preparation of Guidelines is concerned, many episcopal conferences did not respect the deadline; however, 79 over time, almost all have prepared them and sent them to the Congregation and received observations. These texts are all different in configuration and breadth of interest. We have to note that the Congregation strictly requested just the “treatment of cases of sexual abuse of minors by clerics,” that is, essentially, how to act in cases where crimes have taken place, how to react to an emergency, and how to dedicate greater attention to the selection and formation of the clergy. However, experience and reflection have led many conferences to widen the vision and formulate or reformulate Guidelines that are broader and encompass more things, making clear the dynamics of abuse and its nature of corrupting relations of authority and power in the community, the personality traits of abusers, the signs of risk, and so on. In this way, as well as indicating how to proceed when faced with cases of abuse that have taken place, they establish the bases for a veritable action of prevention. This is done through the formation and collaboration of different components of the community and the radical overcoming of a stance of closure, hiding and self-defense by the ecclesial institution. The Guidelines

“Osservazioni psicologiche sul problema della pedofilia,” Civ. Catt. 2010 II 211- 222; and “Contrastare la cultura pedofila,” Civ. Catt. 2010 II 317-329. FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SJ

then have become the document needed for the conversion and renewal of the ecclesial community starting with the dramatic experience of abuse.4

The pontificate of Pope Francis Pope Francis continued decisively on the path set out by his predecessor. He became involved personally, meeting victims of sexual abuse by members of the clergy, starting with a long and moving meeting with several victims that took place – for the first time – in the Vatican at his own home, at Casa Santa Marta, on July 7, 2014. That meeting was followed by many more during his travels and again at Santa Marta, privately.5 An important step taken by Pope Francis was the constitution, 80 announced December 2013, of a new Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, with Cardinal Sean O’Malley as its president. Its aim is not to treat individual cases of abuse, but to study and propose ways and solutions that are appropriate for an efficacious protection of minors at different levels of the life of the Church.6 The Commission has not had an easy journey, as is seen by the resignations of two of its members who had been chosen to represent the victims of abuse. It has had to clarify its functions in relation to the competencies of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia, and develop its demanding work schedule without having significant resources available. Results, however,

4.Examples of Guidelines of this type are those of the Episcopal Conference of Switzerland from 2014 (3rd edition), the Canadian Episcopal Conference, etc. The Italian Episcopal Conference, after a first concise formulation of the Guidelines in 2014, is now making another much more wide-ranging one, moving the attention to the themes of prevention and formation. A document of a different type, which is nevertheless precious, is the booklet prepared and distributed by the French Bishops Conference: Lutter contre la pédophilie. Repères pour éducateurs, Paris, Bayard - Mame - Cerf, 2017 (updated edition). Cf. also H. Zollner, Protecting Children in the Church in Civ. Catt. English Edition, April 2017 5.The pope gave a very significant homily during the Mass celebrated with the participation of victims, July 7, 2014. Also helpful is the text of a preface the pope wrote for a book by an abuse victim: D. Pittet, La perdono, padre (I forgive you, father), Milan, Piemme, 2017. 6.Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley gave a wide-reaching talk to the Consistory of February 12, 2015. It was the pope who chose the theme for that meeting (cf. text in the section of the Vatican website indicated in note 1). PREPARING THE MEETING OF BISHOPS ON THE PROTECTION OF MINORS have not been lacking. Three examples speak clearly: its “model” has been used for the Guidelines of the episcopal conferences and includes the wider vision we have mentioned above7; its contribution to the important courses of formation for newly appointed bishops that take place each year in Rome; and its proposal for a Day of Prayer for victims of abuse. From the point of view of canonical norms and procedures in this matter, Pope Francis has published two documents. The Motu Proprio As a Loving Mother of June 4, 2016, is a significant step for facing the particularly complex problem – continually raised in public discussion, especially in the United States – of the accountability of ecclesiastical authorities, that is, of the procedures to put into place for bishops accused not of crimes of abuse on minors (these are in fact already the concern of the 81 Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, following previous mandate of the Holy Father), but of seriously inadequate behavior concerning cases of abuse (for example, hiding it).8 Another juridical document by Pope Francis is the Rescript of November 3, 2014, that institutes, within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a body to examine appeals made by clergy for judgments in matters of “most grave delicts.” This college, which is presided over by Archbishop Scicluna, has been carrying out its functions regularly for some time. But Francis has perfectly understood that collaboration and co-responsibility of the Church in society on the themes of protecting minors must go well beyond the “internal” questions of its institutions, to stretch beyond confessional barriers to the

7.http://www.tuteladeiminori.va/content/tuteladeiminori/en/resources_ section/pcpm-guidelines-template_page.html 8.“The diocesan bishop … can be legitimately removed from this office if he has through negligence committed or through omission facilitated acts that have caused grave harm to others, either to physical persons or to the community as a whole. The harm may be physical, moral, spiritual or patrimonial” (art. 1). The document specifies the competencies in the procedure, depending on the specific cases, in the different dicasteries – , Oriental Churches, Evangelization of Peoples, Consecrated Life – and reserves the final decision to the pope, in line with the universal law of the Church. The multiple competencies show how difficult it can be to set out and develop quickly and with the same criteria the procedures foreseen. FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SJ

widest horizons, to promote protection in the world of today with all its problems, among which are those that come from the new digital culture. An example of this commitment was the international congress “Child Dignity in the Digital World,” which took place at the Pontifical Gregorian University (October 4-6, 2017) with the collaboration of the CCP mentioned above, the great international network WePROTECT and “Telefono Azzurro” (the Italian children’s telephone helpline). The congress concluded with the “Declaration of Rome on the Dignity of Minors in the Digital World” and received the strong support from Pope Francis who gave a very important talk to the participants on the theme (October 6, 2017).9

82 The cases of Australia and Chile During the pontificate of Pope Francis, the biggest crises have struck the Church in Australia and the Church in Chile. In Australia, in society generally, and particularly in the Catholic Church and her institutions, the question of sexual abuse of minors has been intensively debated for years. But only in May 2018 was an archbishop, Philip Wilson, condemned by a civil tribunal for covering up abuse in the 1970s. Since 2012 a Royal Commission has carried out an in-depth inquiry (at the highest possible level) across the country, with many hearings, for which the highest authorities of the Church were called, including Cardinal , who returned to Australia from Rome for this reason, as well as to defend himself from other accusations. The final Report was published in 2017 and was shocking for the gravity and quantity of the cases and situations of abuse encountered, particularly in Catholic communities and institutions. The Report contains a number of recommendations for the Church. Many of these are worthy of consideration

9.Cf. H. Zollner – K.A. Fuchs, “La dignità dei minori nel mondo digitale. Un congresso internazionale alla Gregoriana,” in Civ. Catt. 2017 IV 333-338. Following this congress, the Child Dignity Alliance was formed to promote study groups and international initiatives, including the meeting of leaders of different religions on the protection of minors that took place in Abu Dhabi, November 19-20, 2018. PREPARING THE MEETING OF BISHOPS ON THE PROTECTION OF MINORS but others have been judged unacceptable by the bishops, in particular one that questions the seal of the secret of the sacrament of confession. Perhaps in no other case has the Catholic Church with its structure and laws been so systematically subjected to the criticism of civil authorities in a democratic country. Not only are the individuals guilty of crimes, but the Church as a whole is called to give an account of itself and its norms; and not only before public opinion, but also before the authorities that represent the state. We need to be aware that the case of Australia most probably will not remain isolated, as many similar situations (like that of the USA) now form an ongoing trend. However, the situation that has most profoundly and directly involved Pope Francis is the one in Chile. The central figure in 83 the crisis is the priest Fernando Karadima. For decades he was seen as a charismatic and authoritative spiritual leader, and an exceptional formator of priests, some of whom were elevated to the episcopacy. He was accused of abuse. But his victims were not believed for a long time. Finally, in 2011, he was recognized as definitively guilty by the Holy See following a regular canonical process. Due to the role he and his followers had taken, there are deep-seated divisions in the Church, and the tensions are focused on the figure of the bishop of Osorno, Juan Barros. Even the visit of Pope Francis to Chile at the beginning of 2018 did not overcome the problems. The pope recognized that he had made mistakes and undervalued the problem, and this in itself is unheard of and admirable. He then took on the situation directly with great determination and a series of initiatives: a new investigation entrusted to Archbishop Scicluna, personal meetings with different victims who had made accusations against Karadima, and convoking the entire Chilean episcopacy to Rome for a meeting that would conclude clamorously with all the bishops offering their resignations to the pope. Pope Francis would later accept some of these resignations, where the bishops were most compromised, and would laicize two elderly bishops, Francisco José Cox and Marco Antonio Ordenes, who FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SJ

were guilty of abuse. In the month of September, Fernando Karadima was dismissed from the clerical state by the pope: in his case the connection between the abuse of power, abuse of conscience and sexual abuse was particularly evident, and the consequences were very serious for the Church in the whole country. This was the context of two most recent pastoral documents by Pope Francis on the theme, which are closely connected and very powerful: the “Letter to the People of God on Pilgrimage in Chile” of May 31, 2018, and the “Letter to the People of God” of August 20, 2018, published just before his journey to Ireland, another country deeply marked by the drama of sexual abuse on minors where the pope would 84 meet several victims and address the theme again during the World Meeting of Families.10 By now, Pope Francis no longer speaks simply of “sexual abuse” but of “abuses of sex, power and conscience.” He reads the entire question of sexual abuse in a wider systematic context of relations that exist within the ecclesial community and their corruption, when authority is lived as power and not as service. The ecclesial vision that guides Francis is the one we all recognize by now: the pilgrim people of God guided by the Spirit; a “synodal” journey, where all the faithful are co-responsible and every form of clericalism needs to be fought decisively. Overcoming the crisis brought to light strikingly by the phenomenon of abuse becomes then a crucial test of the true reform of the Church, which should not be superficial but reach deeply to renew and purify relations and behavior according to the Gospel.

Expectations and outlooks? The February 2019 meeting does not start from nothing. But it is certainly an unprecedented event that seeks to give

10.Ample comments on the “Letter to the People of God” and on the previous “Letter to the People of God on pilgrimage in Chile” have been published in La Civiltà Cattolica. Cf. D. Fares, “Francesco e lo scandalo degli abusi in Cile. Le lettere ai vescovi e al santo Popolo fedele di Dio,” in Civ. Catt. 2018 III 155-166; J. Hanvey, “Sradicare la cultura dell’abuse,” ibid. 2018 IV 271-278. PREPARING THE MEETING OF BISHOPS ON THE PROTECTION OF MINORS a strong impetus for new urgent steps forward. As has been seen, the lessons and experiences acquired so far are many, but there are also many unresolved issues. Let us seek to summarize the main ones. If in some countries much has been done, drastically reducing the number of cases of abuse and setting out efficacious programs of prevention and formation, we need to recognize that in many other countries, little, if anything, has been done. The causes of this are many, but the need to act decisively in these cases is enormous. The episcopal conferences, the bishops and the religious superiors must feel themselves responsible and know that they must give an account of this responsibility before God, the Church and society. In many cases the problem has not yet been perceived 85 in its gravity, nor the depth of suffering it causes. There is a need to become aware, not only theoretically but also in terms of experience and emotion, of the human and spiritual damage that is unleashed on the victims. This will stir us to action and to overcome laziness, fear and resistance, which are all dangerous. Sometimes, there is the illusion that this problem is mainly “Western” or “American” or “Anglophone.” With unbelievable naïveté people think that this is only a marginal problem in their own country. In reality, to the careful eye, its presence cannot be missed; it is sometimes latent but always capable of exploding dramatically in the future. There is a need to look reality in the face. In this, more information will be of great help. A reflection on the figure of the priest remains crucial, as too the care and choice of vocations and initial and ongoing priestly formation, with a view to service and not to power, so as to foster that renewal of ecclesial relations which has to be at the heart of any reform worthy of the name. The new Ratio Fundamentalis on priestly formation leads in this direction, but it needs to be put into action.11

11.Cf. H. Zollner, The Spiritual Wounds of Sexual Abuse, in Civ. Catt. English edition, January 2018 FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SJ

What must be opposed decisively is the tendency to protect yourself and the institution of the Church by fleeing difficult, uncomfortable situations, minimizing or even hiding the truth. All forms of lying are to be completely rejected. We need to learn to communicate clearly and transparently both within and beyond the ecclesial community in order to rebuild trust and credibility.12 Relations and collaboration with civil authorities are to be developed and cultivated in the perspective of truth and justice. Naturally, the laws and authority of public institutions vary greatly in different countries, and this must be taken into consideration, for example in drawing up Guidelines. But the Church has to show herself committed to the cause of protection 86 of minors and vulnerable persons in all of society and to do her part with realism and humility. In some regions of the world or in areas of great poverty, exploitation, migration and so on, the problem is recognized but within a wider framework of violence and exploitation of minors that is so serious and generalized that it does not seem right to treat sexual abuse differently to other aspects: it is the entire condition of minors that needs healing. There is a need, then, to see sexual abuse as an important – not isolated – aspect of the tragic problem of “throwaway culture,” which hurts the small and weak. There are also regions where the prevailing culture inhibits and makes it very difficult to speak about sexuality and sexual behavior. This is true in many African and Asian countries. But this does not mean that the problem does not exist. The approach, though, must be somewhat different from what we

12.An example of the will to recognize the truth, even about the past, and to communicate it transparently, notwithstanding any possible reactions and instrumentalization, is seen in the different reports made by independent experts engaged by the episcopal conferences. Recently, much noise was made about the inquiry made in Germany about the 70 years since the Second World War, which was presented publically in Fulda in September by Cardinal , president of the episcopal conference, and by Bishop Stephan Ackermann, who is the reference person for the theme. PREPARING THE MEETING OF BISHOPS ON THE PROTECTION OF MINORS may be used to or that can be useful for other cultures.13 The factor of cultural differences in the Church and how to address the problems in such a way as to have shared orientations, with approaches adapted to the different situations, is certainly one of the great challenges of the meeting of bishops: listening and reciprocal respect will be of paramount importance. This too is synodality. The Churches that are poorest in terms of resources and skills need effective help from the stronger ones and from the Holy See. The protection of minors is an important field for cooperation among the Churches, for the exchange of experiences and best practices, and for economic resources to put them in place. From the point of view of the service of the Holy See to the 87 episcopal conferences, the dioceses, the religious congregations and so on, the encounter will be a privileged occasion to listen to the problems and needs, to reflect on the adequacy of current canonical norms in substance and procedure, to clarify competency and make clear the work of the different dicasteries and ecclesial bodies. In conclusion, speaking of sexual abuse by members of the clergy is painful and unpleasant. Sometimes, even in Church circles, one hears that it is time to change the subject, that it is not right to give too much weight to this theme, for it is becoming oppressive and overblown. But that would be the wrong road to take. If the problem is not fully confronted in all its aspects, the Church will continue to find itself facing one crisis after another, her credibility and that of all priests will remain seriously wounded, but above all, what will suffer will be the substance of her mission to proclaim the gospel and her educational work for children and young people, which for centuries has been one of the most beautiful and precious aspects of her service for humanity.

13.Sometimes, in situations where the Church is in the minority or is weak compared to society, there is a fear that bringing to light any scandal in the community or ecclesial setting can leave the Church open to deadly attacks in the hostile context. Child Protection: From awareness to engagement

Federico Lombardi, SJ

In an earlier article I gave an overview of the main stages of the clerical sex abuse crisis and the response from the Church during recent pontificates.1 Now I wish to present some examples of local documents and on-the-ground initiatives. This will 88 help gain a better understanding of the lines along which the response of the Church develops, where it is already clear and operational. It will also show which lines of approach can be developed where first steps are currently taking place. In 2011 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith sent all episcopal conferences a circular letter2 asking them to set out guidelines on how to address cases of sexual abuse by members of the clergy in light of the canonical norms renewed by Benedict XVI. So began an important process of reflection and writing that is still ongoing in dialogue with the Congregation, which receives the drafts from different parts of the world and offers observations, mainly on the canonical aspects. To give a summary idea of the situation, about half of the episcopal conferences have completed the revision of their projects after receiving observations, and so have a document that has been officially approved (even if onlyad experimentum, that is, open to being revised in the future); a quarter have nearly completed their work, having received observations and are setting about their definitive revision; a quarter are still behind for various reasons, which include the different cultural contexts and the lack of available skills.

1.Cf. F. Lombardi, “Preparing for the Meeting of Bishops on the Protection of Minors,” December 2018, laciviltacattolica.com/preparing-the-meeting-of- bishops-on-the-protection-of-minors/ 2.www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_ cfaith_doc_20110503_abuso-minori_en.html CHILD PROTECTION: FROM AWARENESS TO ENGAGEMENT

Episcopal documents: the example from Canada Several episcopal conferences have learned from experience that it is not enough to respond to abuse cases in a legally correct way, only. There is a need to widen scrutiny of the case to include an understanding of the causes, circumstances and dynamics of abuse, and look ahead with a view to preventing it in future. So, documents have been published that include the nucleus of the requested guidelines in the strict sense, but also provide a wider orientation for bishops and indeed the entire ecclesial community. A significant example is seen in the document Protecting Minors from Sexual Abuse published by the bishops of Canada in June 2018.3 The first part looks at the effects of sexual abuse onthe Catholic Church in Canada. It opens with a series of 9 lessons 89 that deserve attention. 1) The need for bishops and religious superiors to have a pastoral encounter with the victims, something personal that goes beyond the administrative approach. 2) The need to understand abuse properly, drawing on the greater awareness of the depth of the wounds inflicted on those abused and the personalities of the offenders, so as to have greater awareness of our pastoral and administrative responsibilities. 3) The need to respond effectively to allegations, giving them serious consideration and acting in a timely fashion, such as cautionary measures, informing the relevant authorities, preliminary investigations. 4) How you deal with offenders. In this sphere, besides the canonical measures to be applied, two problematic aspects need

3.The document is available online in English and French: http://www.cccb.ca/ site/images/stories/pdf/Protecting_Minors_2018.pdf Among the many others we have chosen this one for two reasons. First, the Canadian bishops were the first to face the issue following a 1984 report that had a significant impact on the country. In 1987 they drew up a first set of diocesan guidelines, and in 1992 with the document From Pain to Hope it became the first episcopal conference in the world to offer a set of orientations. On the basis of over 30 years of painful experience (not only in Canada but also in the neighboring USA and elsewhere) and further study and reflection, the Canadian bishops offer a new document that – and here is the second reason – is today the most up to date of its kind, even managing to cite the important Letters to the People of God that Pope Francis wrote in these last months. FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SJ

addressing: a) how to respond to the general public’s expectations of accountability for any episodes and for information about offenders; b) pastoral care for offenders, where the rigorous requirements of the legal system and safety of children do not exclude “the possibility to seek healing through conversion.” 5) The need for better safeguarding practices and training.4 This section makes clear how important it is to offer training to all those who work in the different pastoral spheres, not only the clergy, but also families and communities. 6) The need to consider the effects on clergy, members of institutes and laity: coping with shame. The humiliation suffered by those in the Church who are not guilty of abuse often leads to a major crisis of trust, personal situations of depression, 90 isolation, even deviant behavior, or abandonment of the Church and the Faith. All this requires a response of mutual support and encouragement, spiritual solidarity and co-responsibility. 7) The need for better initial and ongoing formation. This concerns seminarians, the clergy and religious, their initial selection and human formation, as well as their spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation.5 8) Learning about the legal process. On this matter, the lessons learned by the Canadian bishops are obviously in the context of state and federal legislation. However, they are also significant for other reasons. For example, they highlight how the processes, due to there impersonal nature, often cause more traumas for the victims and make it hard for compromise Church authorities express a sincere desire for compassion and reconciliation.6

4.The document refers to the principle of “zero tolerance” and defines it as the attitude “marked by policies and programs designed to ensure that every allegation of sexual abuse is taken with the utmost seriousness and not one incident tolerated; it conveys clearly that no one who has sexually abused a minor will be in active ministry” (p. 35). 5.The Canadian bishops explicitly refer to the recent Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis from the Congregation for the Clergy (2016) that explicitly address the question. 6.“While Church leaders need prudential advice of all kinds, including le- gal counsel, they are more aware now of how certain approaches can militate against the duty of Christian charity.” This remains then a field for research and CHILD PROTECTION: FROM AWARENESS TO ENGAGEMENT

9) A call for greater authenticity. The crisis has had a deep negative impact on the mission of the Church, particularly in the field of education for young people and families; recovering the evangelizing credibility of the Church in the secularized world today is a challenge that requires an authentic spiritual renewal that is equally deep. One of the great merits of the Canadian document is that it has not limited itself to repeating the earlier “new lessons” in general terms, but it has formulated for each one of them a series of precise and detailed “Recommendations and Action Points.” In total, there are 69 recommendations and they have the advantage of being thorough and very clear; the number should not scare us, but encourage us, for this detailed articulation is a true aid to understanding how to move from theory to practice. 91 The second chapter describes the demands of the healing process for individuals and communities, entering more deeply into the effects of abuse on victims and the psychological and spiritual responses to their injuries. From the spiritual point of view, there is a need to study in particular the question of how to restore a just image of God and relations with God, also the ministry of compassion toward those who suffer, and the great amount of prudence and gradual steps needed in the pathway of reconciliation, and in how we speak about forgiveness while being attentive to the deep suffering of the victims. And alongside the victims, there is also a need to consider the families, parishes, institutions and dioceses that have suffered. They too need healing to overcome the traumatic impact of abuse and must be engaged as much as possible in caring for the victims and in the co-responsible commitment of prevention.

Responsibility, accountability, transparency The third chapter has the title “The Road Ahead.” It is mainly aimed at the bishops and offers some useful insights for reflection in view of the upcoming February meeting of bishops further reflection. Another important observation is that “the process by which most victims can move forward with their lives is not primarily legal, but one rooted in a more holistic understanding of the need for physical, psychological, and spiritual healing.” FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SJ

on the protection of minors.7 It repeats the need for a change that goes beyond improving the administration and procedures that effectively reach the heart of the “institutional culture and mentality” of the Church. Certainly, it is necessary to formulate and put into place policies and protocols for child protection that are clear, accessible and coherent, conform to civil law and the norms of canon law; they are to be written with the help of experts and reviewed periodically by those who are independent of the ecclesiastical authority so as to guarantee their objectivity. But this will only happen if bishops become more aware of their own responsibility – which is administrative and pastoral – to “ensure that all pastoral environments within their dioceses or are safe.” 92 This responsibility includes respect for the civil laws that are necessary for the wellbeing of society, as well as the communion with other bishops of the universal Church and of the country, and the “synodal” engagement of the faithful and the experts: protection of minors is a good of paramount importance for the entire human family, just as much as it is for the Church. The issue of accountability follows next, logically and immediately. It is understood as the “obligation of one party to answer for how it fulfills its responsibilities to another.” “It is not primarily about accepting blame for something that goes awry, but about delivering on accepted and shared commitments. Central to this understanding is the identification and acknowledgement of a good which is held in common by a number of people and an understanding of who is accountable to whom for the well-being and safekeeping of this good.” The traditional vision of preeminent authority of the bishop in the ecclesial community makes this issue particularly delicate but urgent: it is one of the key points on which to concentrate serenely, courageously and clearly. The duty to be accountable, for bishops and those who have positions of responsibility within the Church, is articulated in various directions: 1) to victims and their families; 2) to the

7.In the Letter from the Organizing Committee to the participants, the three words responsibility, accountability and transparency are identified as the three focal themes for the three days of the meeting taking place February 22- 24, 2019 (Bulletin of the , December 18, 2018). CHILD PROTECTION: FROM AWARENESS TO ENGAGEMENT people whom they serve directly and to wider society; 3) to one another – as members of the Church and as members of the or of one’s institute; and 4) accountability both to the demands of the laws of the Church and the laws of the land.” To improve their accountability, some bishops have found auditing services helpful. Obviously, they should be independent with respect to the individuals or institutions being controlled (the Canadian bishops signal the services offered by two important U.S. child protection agencies, Praesidium and ). They can objectively evaluate and so help improve procedures and protective measures as well as train staff. This is strictly linked to a third aspect, that of transparency. In fact, accountability comes with the completion of tasks only if the procedures followed and the decisions and actions of those 93 responsible are communicated to other concerned individuals “in a timely, open, efficient, and truthful manner.” Sincerity and honesty in communications, the commitment to facilitate access to information, and to welcome outside help to improve the protection of minors are obviously behaviors that go in the opposite direction to the tendency to hide and cover up. This was one of the causes of so much evil and tragedy in the past. This is why it is an important challenge and not to be ignored. A complex challenge – as the expectations of transparency are so high today (even following the drop in trust in the ecclesiastical authorities and in authorities generally) and sometimes even in conflict with the duties of privacy of the victims themselves– but it is an unavoidable challenge. We should not forget the words of encouragement from Pope Francis: “Do not fear transparency. The Church does not need darkness to carry out her work.”8 While the issue naturally tends to highlight the responsibilities of bishops, it cannot however be limited to them, for the abuse crisis has brought to light many lessons on differing aspects such as “human weakness, sexuality, ministry, leadership, authority” and it has helped understand the need for a renewal of relations within the Church, as Pope Francis has noted often enough in his criticism of clericalism, that is the exercise of authority as

8.Francis, address to bishops of Mexico, February 13, 2016. FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SJ

power rather than as service. The recognition of mistakes and deep humiliation can become occasions of conversion: “Perhaps from the pain of sexual abuse will emerge the grace not only of healing for individuals, but of the ecclesial renewal which cannot be deferred.” Presenting the document we are commenting on at a recent plenary assembly of Canada’s bishops, Bishop Ronald Fabbro of London, Ontario gave a touching personal testimony, reflecting on his 17 years as a bishop always marked by the problems of sexual abuse, but also by prayers and trust in the Spirit: “The grace that I have experienced from listening to victims has truly allowed me to live it in a new way. I knew that I could not live my episcopal ministry without a personal, 94 daily relationship with God. You will all have had similar experiences. They are a moment of grace for us. They have made us vulnerable and opened our hearts to the Holy Spirit. They have helped us understand in a truly personal way what it means to be a true pastor.”9

Guidelines for the application of canon law The second part of the Canadian document contains what are more technically and specifically defined as “Guidelines” to help Church leaders (bishops, Eastern eparchs, major superiors etc.) consolidate their child protection policies, and particularly to formulate the necessary “protocols” to respond appropriately from a canon law and pastoral point of view to reports or verified cases of sexual abuse by members of the clergy. With due adjustments – described in an appendix to the document – these can be applied to abuse committed by non-ordained members of religious institutes or lay people officially occupying positions of responsibility in Church structures. The essential canon norms of reference were those promulgated by John Paul II (Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela, from 2001) and updated by Benedict XVI in 2010, with the inclusion – among other things – of child pornography among

9.Bishop Fabbro’s Remarks at the Plenary Assembly of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, September 27, 2018. CHILD PROTECTION: FROM AWARENESS TO ENGAGEMENT the “more grave crimes.” These apply to the whole universal Church and are to be rigorously observed. They include the mandatory duty for the bishop to open a “preliminary investigation” every time a report of abuse is made that “has the semblance of truth.” Once the investigation is complete, if the allegation is founded, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is to be informed. It will indicate how to proceed in the penal process, that is, if a legal or an administrative approach is to be followed through to the sentence. As soon as the preliminary investigation is started the Ordinary can and must establish precautionary measures concerning the person being investigated. The guidelines and the explanations have been written with precise terminology and necessary legal precision. For this reason they have been put to the 95 Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for verification. On this note an observation may be made: those who have worked on these questions for many years are full of sincere admiration for the commitment the Church has made in formulating essential, wise and clear canon norms that have universal value in this matter, despite the massive cultural differences that exist in the world. It is very important then that they be observed scrupulously, as an expression of ecclesial communion, and at the same time that academics and Church leaders continually guarantee the development and correction of canon law relating to the great problems of the world today. In applying the universal norms of canon law, the guidelines of each episcopal conference must ensure that their application comform to civil law.10 It is important to note – and the indications of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith actually note – that the Church must collaborate with the civil authorities in this field. A particularly important and debated point here is that of the obligation to inform or not the appropriate civil authorities. There are different situations and different legislations in the many countries of the world; there is no room here to go into the details of that discussion,

10.These can even differ between states or regions of the same nation! FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SJ

but it is clear that the guidelines for each country must give clear indications to the local bishops to help them orient themselves on this matter coherently and wisely, respecting the laws and also their pastoral responsibilities. The Canadian document is a good example. Coming to practical indications, the Canadian guidelines establish that Ordinaries (bishops or major superiors) should nominate a delegate (and possibly also a substitute) to treat questions concerning abuse and its reporting. This person should be assisted by a Council of at least three competent individuals who can also ensure that the procedural protocol is kept up to date and can offer a service at the inter-diocesan or inter-congregational level. They should also ensure there is 96 an official spokesperson who is not the delegate responsible for relations with the media. It is also asked that diocesan protocol be well known among the clergy and among the laity, and easily accessible and understandable for the general public so that whoever needs to can easily contact the delegate or a substitute. Naturally, there is also the matter of guaranteeing the rights of those accused and the commitment to restore a good name to anyone unjustly accused.

Diocesan services: the Bergamo example As we have just seen, it is expected that in every diocese there are specifically designated people and clear procedures to ensure that any reports of abuse or situations of risk are treated adequately. The same applies for preliminary investigations and eventually processing cases. Many dioceses already have significant experience and important models have been developed for these matters: not only, but also to promote a systematic commitment to prevent abuse. In Italy we can give the example of the Diocese of Bergamo where a dedicated curia office has been created with the title “Diocesan Service for Safeguarding Children.” It is equipped to work in various fields. A first field is obviously that of receiving reports and handling them, so as to have a first summary check of the basis of these reports and be able to refer to the bishop (especially in cases concerning members of the clergy, for which it is necessary CHILD PROTECTION: FROM AWARENESS TO ENGAGEMENT that the bishop initiate a preliminary investigation). For this purpose a specific “Protocol for receiving and handling reports” has been prepared. It is full of practical, psychological and communication indications for conducting an initial interview. It has indications for the further examination of its truth, which must see the participation of a small, easy-to-gather working group with different components (legal-penal, psychological, canonical, pastoral, and communications).11 The second sphere where the Diocesan Service works is no less important and is dedicated to prevention activities: information and formation. Considering the mission of the Church in educational and young people’s pastoral fields, there is a need for some foresight to develop and spread a true “culture” of child protection, which has its key dimension in prevention. 97 For this purpose a study group has been established that includes pastoral, psycho-educational and legal specialists. They do not look at particular cases of abuse but identify and develop good procedures and best practices for the different fields of life and activity of the diocese. They edit publications and supportive literature, help parishes and other ecclesial realities, organize seminars, sessions and formation conferences at different levels, for pastoral workers, families, and seminarians. They give significant attention to the formation of youth workers concerning the risks connected to the web and social media (cyberbullying, phishing, online pedophilia etc.). All these activities are naturally developed thanks to opportune synergies with centers and other specialist institutions in the field of child protection and other diocesan offices (for youth pastoral work, families etc.), associations and interested institutions. As concerns parishes, what is most interesting – and exemplary – is a recent diocesan circular letter dedicated entirely to “Good Practices for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in

11.This type of protocol can be an extremely practical and important instrument given the gravity of the claim and their legal implications. Several have been published in different languages, cf. for example those of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference: http://sacbc.org.za/ professional-conduct FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SJ

Parishes.”12 It is fruit of an attentive on-the-ground experience, and full of valuable practical indications: selection of those who will work with children, formation of volunteers, taking care of spaces and environments, relations with parents and their consent for their children’s activities, use of technology, publication of images of children in news services and on the internet. This list of themes is enough to understand how prevention must be and can become more and more not just an obsessive concern but our “way of looking” around, aware and also spontaneous in all our pastoral and educational life. It is clear that the organization and functioning of a diocesan service of this kind is very demanding and only a few (well structured) dioceses have the necessary resources. This shows the 98 need for collaboration between dioceses and ecclesial institutions, for nothing impedes most of the activities described from being run at a wider level, e.g. regional or inter-diocesan, so setting aside short-sighted and dangerous practices ocurring at a local level and developing a desire to work and walk together. Finally, we see that the commitment to protect children in the life of the Church is not limited to the clergy and diocesan structures or those run by religious institutes: there are many, many other activities that engage children and young people. They too must promote awareness and responsibility for protection and prevention.13

Training safeguarding leaders: the CCP of the Gregorian University In order to translate the declarations of principles into action and daily reality, there is a need for competent and capable people. As child protection is a field that has greatly developed

12.Cf. http://www.diocesibg.it/bergamo/allegati/4532/Diocesibg-Buone- Prassi.pdf 13.Among the many examples that could be given are the various Caritas organizations that are continually engaging with children in their activities. Caritas Internationalis has had a Child Protection Policy Framework since 2004, while the English and Welsh agency CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) published a wide-ranging and detailed Child Protection Policy in 2015: https://www.caritas.at/fileadmin/storage/global/ image/Ausland/DOKUMENTE/Caritas-Europa-Child-Protection-Policy. pdf The document is available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. CHILD PROTECTION: FROM AWARENESS TO ENGAGEMENT over the last 20 years, there is a need to formulate and organize new and adequate courses of study and formation. Initiatives are not lacking, especially where the problem has been faced for longer and with more urgency. But in vast areas of the world – lacking in experience, resources and skills – this continues to be a difficult matter. In order to respond to this need, since 201 the Gregorian University and its Institute of Psychology’s Center for Child Protection has developed and promoted training programmes, conferences, communication and research to both professionals and academics. The principles the CCP inspires to are simple and clear: 1) Victims first; 2) The Christian vision of the human person created in the image of God; 3) Spirituality, based on faith and theological reflection; 4) Cultural sensitivity that 99 respects and is attentive to the differences between cultures; 5) The multidisciplinary, bringing together different professionals from psychology, sociology, civil and canon law and theology. Given the urgency of the problems faced, students have come from over 30 countries on the different continents and with differing educational experiences (theology, law, psychology, psychotherapy, medicine, education, the sciences…). They are required to have already completed a degree to first-cycle level (baccalaureate). Candidates are presented by civil or ecclesial authorities with a view to preparing them to carry out different roles in the field of protection on returning to their respective countries of origin. At the CCP it is not just the content of what is taught that counts: the method is central. Given the great variety of situations and tasks that the students will have to address in different cultures and countries, and keeping in mind the heterogenous nature of the group of students, the method is essentially centered on the students themselves. It aims not so much to give them a complete skill set “once and for all,” as to make them aware of the different dimensions of the problems and how they are connected, and inspire in them a dynamic ability to cultivate and grow in their own skills and seek appropriate responses for concrete contexts (cultural, pastoral, legal etc.) where they will go to work. FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SJ

The basic level of formation offered by the center is that of the diploma. It requires one semester of full-time study, structured around several teaching units that are dedicated respectively to childhood; sexuality and relations between people; victims of abuse (various forms of abuse and their consequences, how to face them and care for them); offenders (their personalities and the causes and dynamics of abuse, legal measures and therapeutic and spiritual interventions); institutions and their way of reacting to abuse; prevention and any possible measures. The students also have important options for further study and practical exercise weeks and reflection on them (listening to victims, preparing formation sessions etc.) At the end of the semester, those who have received the diploma can carry out 100 a number of important services, drawing also on their earlier qualifications. For example, teachers can work in schools or educational institutes or carry out training sessions on prevention; those who are qualified in canon law can carry out preliminary investigations in their dioceses; psychotherapists can work in the listening and accompaniment of victims, and so on. While diplomas have been awarded to a good number of students over recent years, the current academic year has seen the launch of courses for a higher qualification, a second-level degree of Licentiate (Masters) in Child Safeguarding. This requires two years of study. The first semester is the same as the diploma. The third semester consists of an internship of infield practical training in a country where the student speaks the language. The second and fourth semesters are for further theoretical formation, partially shared with other all students on the course, and partially directed to one of four specialist areas: theology and training of clergy or religious (naturally with particular attention to protection of minors); canon law relating to abuse cases; education to the protection of minors; psychology and psychotherapy for victims, offenders and personnel working in the sphere of protection. The programme of lessons is very interesting and shaped to respond to most of the needs that were highlighted in the first parts of this article. Indeed, the variety and completeness of the abilities provided by the specializations is a marvel to behold. It offers an academic programme that responds to the sexual abuse issues and its prevention. CHILD PROTECTION: FROM AWARENESS TO ENGAGEMENT

Naturally, only a few students can come to Rome or head to other countries for a specialized course of such depth. So the CCP has developed an e-learning programme available to formation centers and universities around the world, bringing useful training materials. The teaching units focus on the arguments we have mentioned and include texts, videos, graphs and powerpoint presentations. They are accompanied by bibliographical references and other teaching resources. Currently, 56 institutions in around 30 countries of the world (especially Latin America and Africa) have connected to the CCP and use its e-learning programme. These are mostly universities, seminaries, dioceses, religious institutes and schools. The contact with these various realities greatly enriches the CCP with their experiences, observations and comments coming from different 101 cultures and parts of the Earth. This is very precious in order to learn to inculturate more and more appropriately the service of protection of minors, which had been developed primarily in western cultures. The universalistic perspective that has always characterized the Gregorian University is active on the new frontier of protection of children in service to the Church and human society as a whole.

Some concluding considerations In these pages we have presented some examples of documents from episcopal conferences, guidelines, diocesan services, codes of behavior, formation programmes for safeguarding minors. Dozens more could easily have been given, even hundreds. They are readily available in many languages on the web. What message are we trying to send? In the universal Catholic Church there are a great variety of experiences, ideas and programmes that show not only the awareness of the reality of sexual abuse, of its serious and complex nature, but also of what can and should be done to oppose it, and how to oppose it. So a stance of fear and disorientation is not justifiable. Rather, we need deep commitment with radical, decisive attitudes positively adopting responsibility, accountability and transparency. FEDERICO LOMBARDI, SJ

This presupposes – for pastors and for the faithful – a deep spiritual conversion, in a pathway toward a renewed Church where the holiness of people and relationships, and the genuineness of the attitude of service will restore the credibility of the proclamation of the Gospel and the educational mission. This also presupposes – in the wider community of the world – a living and concrete “synodal” solidarity, to share and distribute skills and resources in favor of the many dioceses and ecclesial realities, marked by poverty in social and human terms, that are unable to start up the necessary processes for protection and prevention without some help. The meeting of presidents of episcopal conferences next February will be a precious occasion to take decisive steps along this path, both for those “at the 102 center” and for those in the “peripheries.” Toward Healing and Renewal: A symposium on the sexual abuse of minors

Hans Zollner, SJ

The symposium Toward Healing and Renewal, held at the Pontifical Gregorian University (PUG), February 6-9, 2012, is an important milestone in the process undertaken by the Church to confront the “open wound” of abuse, as Pope 103 Benedict XVI defined it. He himself chose to deliver a message to the symposium through his Secretary of State. With that message addressed to the rector of the Gregorian, January 30, 2012, Benedict XVI demonstrated his support and encouraged every effort to respond with evangelical charity to the challenge of offering children and defenseless adults an environment that supports their human and spiritual growth. He also urged the symposium participants to continue to draw on their wide range of skills in order to promote a strong culture of effective protection and support for victims throughout the Church. Specifically, he insisted “the healing of the victims must be an important concern in the Christian community and must go hand in hand with a profound renewal of the Church at every level. Our Lord reminds us that ‘every act of charity toward one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’ (Matt 25:40).”

Aims of the symposium In September 2010, the PUG Board of Directors decided to organize a symposium on this issue. The initiative received unequivocal support and material assistance from the Vatican dicasteries involved in the treatment of cases of abuse.1 Particular

1.Cf. G. Cucci, “‘Verso la guarigione e il rinnovamento’. Un simposio internazionale sul tema dell’abuso sessuale su minori,” in Civ. Catt. III 2011 416-419. HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

mention should be made of the Secretariat of State, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Congregation for Bishops, the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Congregation for Catholic Education, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life, and the Congregation for the Clergy. In addition, some of the prefects and secretaries of these dicasteries made themselves available to play an active role during the symposium, in particular in the search for possible speakers, discussion moderators and liturgical animators. The organizing committee included people with canonical, psychological, organizational and communication skills, under the guidance of the author of this article, who was then the academic vice-rector of the PUG. Together with Alexander 104 DesForges, spokesman for the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, we posed the problem from the outset of how to make the symposium known to the media. To facilitate communication with the outside world and the procedures for registering for the symposium, a dedicated website was created. The symposium was also intended to be a response to the circular letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (May 3, 2011), which obliged the episcopal conferences to develop Guidelines to protect minors, and to ensure consistency in the Church’s response where there were accusations of abuse and in the treatment of abusers.2 Funding for the symposium came from the Gregorian University, the archdiocese of Munich and some other ecclesiastical bodies (Aid to the Church in Need; Misereor; Renovabis; the dioceses of Brescia, Pavia, Bolzano-Bressanone; the Jesuit provinces of Italy, Switzerland and Holland). In evaluating the framework and the participants in the symposium, it was decided to turn to representatives of the various episcopal conferences throughout the world and to the

2.Cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, “Letter of Cardinal William Levada on the occasion of the presentation of the circular letter to the episcopal conferences regarding Guidelines dealing with cases of sexual abuse of minors perpetrated by clerics,” in Civ. Catt. II 2011 587; Id., “Circular letter to assist the Episcopal Conferences in developing Guidelines dealing with the treatment of cases of sexual abuse of minors perpetrated by clerics,” ibid. 588-593. TOWARD HEALING AND RENEWAL superiors general. This would ensure that, with the help of the principal authorities, one could hope for a better result for the promotion of greater awareness, more consistent procedures and more effective preventative measures. The organizers of the symposium intended to achieve the following goals: a) to put victims first, giving them a voice, and to identify what would be most helpful for a pathway of healing; b) to contribute to a culture of listening, to develop the best tools to combat this scourge; c) to collaborate with the media and to make known what can be done to protect the most vulnerable. At the symposium there were 110 representatives of the episcopal conferences, together with 35 superiors general of 105 male and female religious orders. There were also representatives of the Eastern Churches, rectors of and Catholic universities from all around the world, experts in psychotherapy, canon law, education, and members of various rites within the Church. The topics debated reflect the many areas involved in the problem of abuse. This symposium was not like the one organized in 2003, which saw the participation of the leading experts in psychiatry and psychotherapy. In this instance, instead, those present were responsible for the pastoral care of the Catholic Church from all corners of the world (Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, United States, Germany, South Africa) who shared their experiences courageously, in the hope that other brothers and sisters could be motivated to follow their example. The acts were published and translated into many languages. The spirit of the symposium was to communicate a fair and proper transparency toward all those who are interested in knowing what is being done in the Church to confront previous and present scandals, and to provide adequate preventive measures. “The crisis invites us to reassess our relationship with the media. As we challenge them to be fair and truthful in whatever they are reporting, the Church should also be prepared to be scrutinized by media, provided HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

the norms of fairness and truthfulness applicable to all are observed,” said the archbishop of Manila, (now Cardinal) Luis Tagle. Above all, the message which is considered important is about making everyone clearly perceive that the victims, the truth and justice are our priorities, and that the Church must not wait for a new scandal before tackling the problem of abuse. “We do not need to wait for a bomb to explode. Preventing it from exploding is the best response,” said Msgr. Tagle. The symposium is considered a very significant step in the Church’s recognition of the seriousness of the problem of safeguarding minors and of the importance of listening to the victims. It was convened also in order to raise awareness among 106 Church authorities, especially those who had never heard a victim speak of his or her trauma and of his or her concerns.

The development of the symposium The symposium’s program was structured as follows: - On Monday evening, February 6, the symposium was inaugurated with an introduction by Cardinal William J. Levada, who underlined the necessity of a multiform – canonical, theological, pastoral, psychological – approach to the sad phenomenon of abuse in the Church and throughout the world. - Over the mornings of February 7, 8 and 9, there were nine major speeches – followed by plenary discussions – delivered by psychiatrists, experts in priestly formation, canonists, bishops and religious – some former pupils of the Gregorian University – who had had to face painful situations in their respective dioceses and congregations. The speakers came from the most diverse parts of the world in order to demonstrate that the issue of abuse does not only concern Western countries, but the whole world. The talks were delivered in four languages: Italian, English, Spanish and French. In one presentation, a theological reflection was given on the problem of abuse by four theologians of the Gregorian University (Prof. Michelina Tenace and the Jesuits Joseph Carola, Mark Rotsaert and Humberto Miguel Yañez). TOWARD HEALING AND RENEWAL

To give voice to the victims, Marie Collins, who had been abused by a priest when she was 13, gave her testimony during the first conference. To do so, she was helped by a psychiatrist who had been involved in the listening sessions recently held in the Republic of Ireland to with this problem. Her testimony was particularly touching; she also recounted the behavior of the abuser’s superiors afterwards, who did nothing more than blame her for the incident, without trying in any way to confront him. This lack of listening and collaboration caused her more pain and shock than the abuse itself. Marie Collins expressed a desire for the Church to listen to victims and respect them, and to take their accusations seriously. She added that listening to a Church leader asking for forgiveness for having defended an abuser is fundamental 107 to the healing process. She also asked that there be disciplinary consequences for anyone who does not respect the norms of the Church. Everyone, especially lay believers, must be allowed “to report sin when it happens, to call it a crime – because it is a crime – and to do something about it,” Collins added. - The afternoons were dedicated to various workshops led by a team from Virtus, a program run by the National Catholic Risk Retention Group of the Church in the United States, and developed with the aim of helping the Church in the task of preventing abuse. This program is currently used by 115 U.S. dioceses. During the workshops the importance of education on internet use was emphasized. Such access is one of the fundamental points that Virtus works on to prevent the very serious phenomenon of child pornography and a wide variety of internet addictions: “Research shows that we have to teach what is ‘normal’ internet access and the correct use of technology as we were taught to drive a car. By analogy, we must first be assisted by an adult who knows how to drive, we must feel safe and learn the ‘rules of the road.’ Why do we behave differently with the internet, mobile phones and modern technology?” Some fundamental criteria were also presented that can help parents and educators manage this powerful and ever-present tool in a healthy way, and protect minors: 1) set rules (“place HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

some clear, simple, easy to read rules on the computer monitor or close by. The Commitment to Cyber Security is readily available”); 2) use monitoring filters; 3) check privacy policies (“Websites for children cannot ask for personal information without the permission of the parent or guardian”); 4) talk about the dangers of e-mails and chats; 5) keep the computer in the living room or in another open environment of the house, so that all can see what the children are doing online. - Inspired by these themes, the program included a penitential liturgy and a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Cardinal Fernando Filoni. During the penitential liturgy, presided over by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and concelebrated with 10 other bishops, forgiveness was asked 108 for failing to protect minors and for acting as “instruments of evil against them.” - Four people also attended the symposium as observers; at its close they presented a report with their reflections on the coherence of the aims and the reality of the symposium itself. - A crucial element for external communication was the proactive work with the media (cf. the press conferences of June 18, 2011, and February 3, 2012), because, given the delicacy of the issue, intense media interest was expected. This was found to be the case in many countries with a resounding – generally very positive – echo. However, the Italian press was occupied with other news and so did not attach much importance to the symposium. Monsignor Charles Scicluna, the promoter of justice at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, as well as chief referent for complaints received by the Holy See in cases of abuse committed by priests and religious, stated that no strategy for the prevention of child abuse can ever lead to positive results without commitment and responsibility. In this regard, he recalled the words Benedict XVI addressed to the bishops of Ireland in 2010: “Only decisive action carried out with complete honesty and transparency will restore the respect and good will of the Irish people toward the Church to which we have consecrated our lives.” Monsignor Scicluna concluded: “The words of the Holy Father Benedict XVI recall TOWARD HEALING AND RENEWAL what the Lord said in the Gospel of John: ‘For it is the truth that sets us free’ (John 8:32). An honest search for truth and justice is the best answer we can offer to the sad phenomenon of sexual abuse of minors by clerics.” Cardinal William J. Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said that over the past decade, more than 4,000 cases of sexual abuse had been reported to the Congregation, many dating back decades. He added that such cases reveal the inadequacy of an exclusively canonical response to the crisis, and that a more proactive and multi-pronged approach is needed by all bishops and religious orders. According to Cardinal Levada, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Germany are the countries which have adopted the most complete and stringent norms and guidelines, but 109 he added that “in many cases their responses have come about only as a result of revelations by the media about the scandalous behavior of some priests.” Symposium participants said that it should not be the norm that these harsh lessons are only learned after generations of children and vulnerable adults have been traumatized. “Is it necessary for every country in the world to go through this same excruciating process?” asked Msgr. Steve Rossetti, associate clinical professor of pastoral studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington. Hard lessons over these years have taught the Church what are the essential elements of an effective program for the protection of minors, added Msgr. Rossetti, but these standards need to become the norm all over the world. Not all bishops or superiors fully agree, he said, because some believe that no abuse has occurred or could occur with them in charge; and he added: “It’s not about changing certain policies, but about changing the way people think about these problems. This requires a cultural shift.” “A deadly culture of silence or omertà is in itself wrong and unjust,” said Msgr. Scicluna. He reaffirmed the obligation for Church leaders to cooperate with civil authorities, noting that “sexual abuse of minors is not just a canonical delict or a breach of a Code of Conduct internal to an institution, whether it be religious or other. It is also a crime prosecuted by civil HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

law. Although relations with civil authority will differ in various countries, nevertheless it is important to cooperate with such authorities within their responsibilities.” The circular letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, May 3, 2011, specifies among other things: “Specifically, without prejudice to the sacramental internal forum (the seal of confession), the prescriptions of civil law regarding the reporting of such crimes to the designated authority should always be followed. This collaboration, moreover, not only concerns cases of abuse committed by clerics, but also those cases which involve religious or lay persons who function in ecclesiastical structures.” Experts also stressed that listening to the victims and the search for truth, justice and their security must be the primary 110 objectives of all ecclesiastical leaders.

The need for appropriate pastoral strategy Archbishop Luis Tagle of Manila, observed that some non- European cultures have characteristics that in some cases could promote the occurrence of abuse, such as: - the greater inclination toward “touching” in the sense that physical contact between people and children is considered normal. Children, however, are unable to distinguish affectionate contact from malicious contact; - the considerable authority attributed to adults over children, in the name of discipline and their betterment; - the rather vague and broad way of defining the family, in the sense that priests are often considered family members, and therefore they are allowed to enter into otherwise private places reserved for the family. From this point of view, the episodes of violence are not carried out by “strangers,” but by persons considered members of the family itself; - the almost “divine” consideration in which the clergy is held, which favors the occurrence of dubious and abusive behavior. Msgr. Tagle then noted that the problem and the serious consequences it led to, require above all a pastoral response. According to the archbishop of Manila, the main elements of such an answer to the problem could be the following: TOWARD HEALING AND RENEWAL

- pastoral care of victims and their families. This includes justice, compassion, protection and, in some cases, even restitution; - pastoral care of the hurting community, be it parish, diocese or congregation; - pastoral care for the priest offender. The best way to ensure this occurs is to confront him with his misconduct. It is necessary to help him realize what are the ecclesiastical and canonical procedures related to his particular case. The bishop must scrupulously observe the procedures, especially when the gravity of the incident could lead to dismissal from the clerical state; - the pastoral care of the non-offender clergy; after all, it is the honest clergy who carry the weight, and who are obliged to answer questions. They have to share the shame of their brother 111 priests for the simple fact of belonging to the same presbyterate; - the pastoral care of superiors and bishops; formation, understood both as formation in seminaries and as permanent formation of the clergy. Above all, the formation of human maturity: “Of the many aspects of human maturity one important area is responsible relationships. This is the focus of the crisis: the capacity to relate responsibly and with accountability. Sensitivity to women and children, understanding one’s human and sexual development, and working in teams are necessary.” All this reiterates the delicate and ever-present problem of adequate selection and formation, not only of candidates for the priesthood and religious life, but above all for episcopal office. “We must be careful in choosing candidates for the important office of bishop, and we must also use the tools which canon law and tradition offer us to make bishops responsible,” said Msgr. Scicluna. Going into the specifics of the problem, he explicitly affirmed that “it is not acceptable” for bishops to ignore the anti-abuse protocols prepared by the Vatican or the respective episcopal conferences. He also said that a careful and in-depth reading of the Church’s recent teaching regarding sexual abuse of minors by clerics demonstrates how the safety of children constitutes a concern of primary importance for the Church and is an integral HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

part of its concept of “common good.” He noted that there are already concrete norms in canon law which foresee bishops being sanctioned for “negligence and guilt in the exercise of their duties” (see CIC, canons 1389 and 128). This attention is particularly urgent in tackling problems that seem difficult to manage, especially regarding a possible intervention capable of uniting justice and compassion: “It is difficult and painful to be a superior or a bishop nowadays,” said Msgr. Tagle. “You feel lost, confused and shamed when one of the clergy commits sexual abuse. As you help your priests, you also have to judge. At the same time, you cannot defend the priests to the neglect of truth, justice and the good of the victims and the community. Superiors are battered from all sides. 112 They are accused of covering up if you are discreet. If they are firm, they are accused of lack of compassion.”

The next steps The international symposium represented a favorable occasion at which bishops and other ecclesiastical leaders, coming from every continent and from over 120 countries, were able to discuss their respective experiences in the relationship with the victims, with the abusers and with prevention. The Catholic Church is universal, and in many places there are already best practices in use that can be shared, although the cultural context and civil laws are different from one country to another. This character of universality, realized with the joint effort of both the participants (thanks to the work and the encouragement of the Secretariat of State and the pontifical dicasteries), and the speakers, was undoubtedly the most innovative and significant element regarding this serious problem. The presence and contribution of Marie Collins and Sheila Hollins – who, as members of the listening sessions on clergy sexual abuse conducted by the Church in Ireland, heard from 700 victims – was the key to understanding the atmosphere and the development of the symposium. However, the symposium was not conceived so as to be an “attractive façade” or a “one-off event”; instead, it was TOWARD HEALING AND RENEWAL conceived – as one of the organizers specified during a press conference – “as a further step in the long and painful journey of the Church in taking responsibility for the past and working for a better future.” Many representatives from the numerous countries of Africa and Asia said that for the first time they had come to understand the importance and the extent of the disaster the abuse incidents meant for the Church. In addition, we hope that this recognition has a significant impact, not only for the introduction of Guidelines, but also in implementing preventive measures and taking responsibility for past events. On the basis of the Guidelines that the local episcopal conferences have put into practice, assessments are already underway in various countries. 113 In connection with the symposium, the PUG Institute of Psychology founded a Centre for the Protection of Minors in Munich. The establishment of this center, which is multilingual and based on an internet platform out of the city of Munich, where Pope Benedict XVI was once archbishop, aims to help all bishops, priests and pastoral leaders develop a global approach to the problem of abuse, not only within the Church, but also in society. Funded by the archdiocese of Munich, the dioceses of Augsburg and Osnabrück and the Sisters of Mercy (Generalate House of Munich), with the contribution of private sponsors and a donation from the Papal Foundation, this center would develop, over a period of three years, an e-learning program, that is, an internet-based learning platform with the aim of providing a modern and easily usable tool everywhere. Its contents would include information from the areas of psychology, pedagogy, theology and canon law, to promote greater awareness about the reality of abuse in the Church and society, appropriate help for victims, knowledge of the expected canonical measures, and the creation of a climate of listening and sensitivity toward minors and those most vulnerable. The structure would start work with eight project partners, including dioceses and religious congregations, in four languages: English, Spanish, Italian and German. Two of these project partners are based in Africa (Ghana and Kenya), two HANS ZOLLNER, SJ

in Latin America (Argentina, Ecuador), two in Asia (India, Indonesia), and two in Europe (Germany, Italy). The program included an initial period of three years and relied on the scientific contribution of experts from the Medical Faculty at Ulm University (Germany), as well as that of the Institute of Psychology of the Pontifical Gregorian University.3 An interdisciplinary team of international experts was involved in the development of a certified education program, consisting of study modules on sexual abuse addressed to pastoral workers. This resource can be used at anytime and anywhere in the world and can be modified to be more appropriate to local needs. The ultimate goal is the implementation of a prevention and intervention program in 114 the interest of child protection.

3.https://www.unigre.it/struttura_didattica/Psicologia/index_en.php The Dignity of Minors in the Digital World An international congress at the Gregorian University

Hans Zollner, SJ – Katharina A. Fuchs

It is rare to meet with parents who are not concerned about their children’s use of the internet, particularly given the widespread presence of pornographic images on the web. What is worrisome in the private sector and for families takes on terrifying dimensions when we look at the global numbers and 115 see the vastness and complexity of the problem. It is estimated that at the end of 2018 51.2 percent of individuals, or 3.9 billion people, are using the internet,1 of whom at least a quarter are minors. It can certainly be said that the internet offers great possibilities, advantages and conveniences, but it also undoubtedly brings great risks for security, exposure to economic scams and dangers to the integrity and dignity of those people, especially children, who do not have the tools to defend themselves. Thus, they are threatened by new forms of abuse, such as cyberbullying (the use of new technologies to intimidate, harass, embarrass, make others feel uncomfortable or excluded), cyber grooming (sexual grooming through the net), sexting (sending sexually explicit texts or images over the internet or by mobile phone) and sextortion (a practice often used by cybercriminals to extort money from victims: the attacker contacts the victim, convinces the person to send sexually explicit photos and videos and then asks for money not to make this material public).

1.M e a s u r i n g t h e I n f o r m a t i o n S o c i e t y R e p o r t , International Telecommunications Union, December 2018, https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/ publications/misr2018/MISR2018-ES-PDF-E.pdf HANS ZOLLNER, SJ – KATHARINA A. FUCHS

A multidisciplinary congress These realities – dangerous for the mental, emotional and spiritual development of young people – and the prevention of these damages were the theme of an international congress entitled Child Dignity in the Digital World, held October 3-6, 2017, at the Pontifical Gregorian University. The congress was organized by the Gregorian’s Centre for Child Protection in collaboration with Telefono Azzurro (an Italian telephone helpline for children) and the WePROTECT Global Alliance2 of the British government. It was the first congress of its kind, bringing together from around the world top experts in various disciplines and sectors (for example, psychology, psychotherapy, sociology, 116 communication sciences, law, theology, etc.) who are involved in research on these phenomena and in efforts at prevention from political, legal, diplomatic and religious points of view. The faculties of medicine of Harvard, Yale and Johns Hopkins, Interpol and UNICEF, ECPAT, the governments of Italy, Germany, Great Britain and the United Arab Emirates, representatives of various Christian denominations and of the Islamic, Jewish and Taoist world all participated, offering their authoritative contributions from within their respective competencies to define the status quaestionis, discuss the emerging problems, and elaborate proposals that can be concretely implemented. In order for this effort not to remain merely theoretical, it was important that representatives from the major companies operating in the online services sector also participated in the Congress. Facebook and Microsoft, therefore, sent those responsible for their global security policies. The responsibility of the Fourth Estate was also highlighted by the presence of Mario Calvo-Platero, a journalist for Il Sole 24 Ore. The recent decision of the Italian Episcopal Conference to create a working group3 for the prevention of abuse in the

2.https://www.weprotect.org/ 3.The Final Declarations of the 72nd General Assembly of the Italian Episcopal Conference (Nov. 12-15 2018) evidence that an episcopal commission has been working and, among other things, made a proposal to the General THE DIGNITY OF MINORS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

Church is also in line with giving a practical application to the research efforts being made on this issue.

The suffering caused by sexual abuse The congress was opened by the Holy See’s Secretary of State, Card. , and held in an atmosphere of great commitment, goodwill and understanding on the part of all the participants. It was a very positive experience. The fact that there is an alliance intending to combat this evil, which is far greater and has a much wider impact than one might think, is already an important goal achieved by the congress. Some numbers can give an idea about the spread of this phenomenon. In 2016 in Europe, there were reported 57,000 cases of sexual abuse of minors transmitted through the net 117 including nude images and films produced through blackmail or force. This material is often made or sold by the parents themselves or by family members. It is reasonable to assume that at least five times as many cases actually occurred. These figures represent lives that have been forever wounded. The most serious harm connected to online abuse is that this material will remain accessible forever. There are certainly procedures that can delete a photo or video, but a person only needs to download the material on their computer for it to be published again. The person who has suffered abuse is therefore subject to multiple forms of suffering It is not possible to know who has access to this material nor who possesses very intimate photos of the person. According to Interpol, every day in 2016 there were five children in the world who were victims of sexual abuse for the production of online child pornography. At times, the abuses were carried out involving very young children between three and four years old. The abuse destroys not only the body, but also the soul of these small victims. As has been pointed out by Joanna Shields, the founder of WePROTECT Global Alliance, pornographic videos do not

Assembly which has now decided to set up a “National Service for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable People.” Cf. https://www.chiesacattolica.it/. HANS ZOLLNER, SJ – KATHARINA A. FUCHS

only depict adults who are having sexual intercourse, but also show interactions without love and full of verbal and physical violence. Mary Anne Layden from the University of Pennsylvania pointed out that pornography conveys images of a relation between the sexes that portrays a dominant male and a submissive female, which sends a message that the woman would like to be humiliated, to suffer. The spread of pornography has triggered the spread of sexual practices that inflict pain on women. Donald Hilton Jr., of the University of Texas Health Science Center, spoke about the influence of pornography on the functioning of the brain. The earlier a child is exposed to 118 pornographic images, the sooner the child will be negatively influenced by these images, overwhelmed by emotions, yet unable to process or digest them. From this point of view, it is interesting to note that adolescence begins increasingly earlier. In the USA, girls complete their adolescent sexual development at the age range of 13-14 years. Therefore, the beginning of puberty, from a physiological point of view, is around 9-10 years old, and it has been noted that this beginning for each generation is anticipated by one year. On the other hand, development of the brain and sense of responsibility continues to follow the usual timing, and at times is even delayed. That is, there is a very early maturity of the body that does not correspond to relational and cognitive maturity, awareness of one’s identity and one’s sexual life. This contrast is worrying since children act sexually, but they do not realize what they are doing. Our task must be that of promoting greater integration between physical development and ethics. Michael Seto, a member of the Royal Ottawa Health Group, provided an overview of online sexual abuse, offering some elements for risk assessment. He analyzed the relationship that exists between abuses that occur through the internet and those that occur with physical contact. He also traced the characteristic profiles of the abusers. THE DIGNITY OF MINORS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

Prevention Who are the abusers? Why do they commit these acts? Ethel Quayle, of the University of Edinburgh, gave answers to these questions based on the results of several studies focused on abuses committed through the use of information technologies. Elizabeth J. Letourneau, of Johns Hopkins University, insisted on the possibility of preventing child sexual abuse. Abuse should not be considered the same as a disease from which one can not be cured. Prevention requires a cross-sector and multifaceted approach. If, for example, we are talking about the dissemination of images online, everything possible must be done to ensure that they are not circulated. To this end, legislators should impose stricter laws and monitor their enforcement. 119 People living in higher risk environments should be more adequately educated. Returning to the example of images, their users often live in violent, dysfunctional families. We should, then, invest in stabilizing coexistence between people, in the family as well as in other areas. It is a mode of prevention that starts from afar but that can have lasting results. Furthermore, young people should be educated in sexuality and the use of modern technology so that they realize the consequences of sending their nude images on the web, of giving in to pressure from their classmates to perform. Themes of education and empowerment of minors were at the center of a speech by David Finkelhor, of the University of New Hampshire. He is a prominent figure in sociological research on the grooming process. Prevention includes everyone, especially teachers, who are often not fully aware of the risks associated with unregulated and uncontrolled internet access by children and adolescents. During the congress, the words “collaboration” and “networking” were often repeated. It is quite clear that neither science, politics, law enforcement nor religion can solve the problem on their own. Prevention and collaboration at the international and multidisciplinary level are some of the key points on which the Centre for Child Protection’s commitment is based. Among the Center’s various activities – in addition to, as in this case, the HANS ZOLLNER, SJ – KATHARINA A. FUCHS

organization of congresses and conventions – we can mention research and publications, the development of an e-learning program (online distance learning) and the offering of diverse types of training courses, among which is the Diploma Course in Safeguarding of Minors – an intensive course of one semester in Rome, now in its third year – and, from the 2018-2019 academic year, a two-year licentiate program in Safeguarding of Minors. By the end of the congress, the participants had drawn up the “Rome Declaration,” a text of thirteen points in which governments, internet companies, international institutions, the scientific world and religions are called to a more determined and coordinated fight for the protection of minors on the internet.4 120 On Friday, October 6, 2017 the event concluded with an audience with Pope Francis, to whom the “Declaration” was presented by a young Irish woman, representing the generation that was at the center of attention during the congress. The pope, in a speech that concluded the congress,5 emphasized that “as a result of these painful experiences and the skills gained in the process of conversion and purification, the Church today feels especially bound to work strenuously and with foresight for the protection of minors and their dignity, not only within her own ranks, but in society as a whole and throughout the world. She does not attempt to do this alone – for that is clearly not enough – but by offering her own effective and ready cooperation to all those individuals and groups in society that are committed to the same end.”

4. The Declaration of Rome is included in this volume on pages 106-109. 5.Cf.http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2017/october/ documents/papa-francesco_20171006_congresso-childdignity-digitalworld. html Declaration of Rome

Child Dignity in the Digital World, October 20171

“A society can be judged by the way it treats its children.”2 Every child’s life is unique, meaningful and precious and every child has a right to dignity and safety. Yet today, global society is failing its children. Millions of children are being 121 abused and exploited in tragic and unspeakable ways, and on an unprecedented scale all over the world. Technology’s exponential advancement and integration into our everyday lives is not only changing what we do and how we do it, but who we are. Much of the impact of these changes has been very positive. However, we face the dark side of this new-found world, a world which is enabling a host of social ills that are harming the most vulnerable members of society. While undoubtedly the Internet creates numerous benefits and opportunities in terms of social inclusion and educational attainment, today, content that is increasingly extreme and dehumanizing is available literally at children’s fingertips. The proliferation of social media means insidious acts, such as cyberbullying, harassment and sextortion, are becoming commonplace. Specifically, the range and scope of child sexual abuse and exploitation online is shocking. Vast numbers of sexual abuse images of children and youth are available online and continue to grow unabated. The detrimental impact of pornography on the malleable minds of young children is another significant online harm. We embrace the vision of an internet accessible by all people. However, we believe the constitution of this vision must recognize the unwavering value of protecting all children.

1. https://www.childdignity.com/ 2.Pope Francis, weekly General Audience, March 15, 2018 CHILD DIGNITY IN THE DIGITAL WORLD, OCTOBER 2017

The challenges are enormous, but our response must not be gloom and dismay. We must work together to seek positive, em safe-guarding powering solutions for all. We must ensure that all children have safe access to the internet to enhance their education, communications and connections. Technology companies and government have shown leadership in this fight and must continue to innovate to better protect children. We must also awaken families, neighbours, communities around the world and children themselves to the reality of the internet’s impact upon children. We already have potent global platforms in place and important global leaders making significant progress in fulfilling these aims. The Centre for Child Protection at the Pontifical 122 Gregorian University conducts international safeguarding work in 30 countries on four continents. The WePROTECT Global Alliance, launched by the United Kingdom, in partnership with the European Union and the United States, unites 70 nations, 23 technology companies and many international organizations in this fight. The United Nations is leading a global effort to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 16.2 to eradicate violence against children by 2030, particularly through the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children. This is a problem that cannot be solved by one nation or one company or one faith acting alone, it is a global problem that requires global solutions. It requires that we build awareness, and that we mobilize action from every government, every faith, every company and every institution. This Declaration of Rome issues a call to action: 1 – To world leaders to undertake a global awareness campaign to educate and inform the people of the world about the severity and extent of the abuse and exploitation of the world’s children, and to urge them to demand action from national leaders. 2 – To leaders of the world’s great religions to inform and mobilize members of every faith to join in a global movement to protect the world’s children. 3 – To the parliaments of the world to improve their laws to better protect children and hold those accountable who abuse and exploit children. DECLARATION OF ROME

4 – To leaders of technology companies to commit to the development and implementation of new tools and technologies to attack the proliferation of sex abuse images on the Internet, and to the redistribution of the images of identified child victims. 5 – To world’s ministries of public health and the leaders of non-governmental organizations to expand the rescue of child victims and improve treatment programs for victims of abuse and sexual exploitation. 6 – To government agencies, civil society and law enforcement to work to improve the recognition and identification of child victims, and ensure help for the massive numbers of hidden victims of child abuse and sexual exploitation. 7 – To the world’s law enforcement organizations to expand 123 regional and global cooperation in order to improve information sharing in investigations and increase collaborative efforts in addressing these crimes against children which cross national boundaries. 8 – To the world’s medical institutions to enhance training for medical professionals in recognizing the indicators of abuse and sexual exploitation, and improve the reporting and treatment of such abuse and sexual exploitation. 9 – To governments and private institutions to enhance resources available to psychiatric and other treatment professionals for expanded treatment and rehabilitation services for children who have been abused or exploited. 10 – To the leading authorities in public health to expand research into the health impacts resulting from the exposure of young children and adolescents to graphic, extreme internet pornography. 11 – To leaders of the world’s governments, legislative bodies, private industry and religious institutions to advocate for and implement techniques to deny access by children and youth to internet content suitable only for adults. 12 – To governments, private industry and religious institutions to undertake a global awareness campaign directed at children and youth to educate them and provide them with CHILD DIGNITY IN THE DIGITAL WORLD, OCTOBER 2017

the tools necessary to use the internet safely and responsibly, and to avoid the harm being done to many of their peers. 13 – To governments, private industry and religious institutions to undertake a global awareness initiative to make citizens in every country more alert and aware regarding the abuse and sexual exploitation of children, and to encourage them to report such abuse or exploitation to appropriate authorities if they see it, know about it or suspect it. In this era of the internet the world faces unprecedented challenges if it is to preserve the rights and dignity of children and protect them from abuse and exploitation. These challenges require new thinking and approaches, heightened global awareness and inspired leadership. For this reason this 124 Declaration of Rome appeals to everyone to stand up for the protection of the dignity of children.