May 25 to May 31, 2011 www.scross.co.za R5,50 (incl VaT RSa) Reg no. 1920/002058/06 no 4727 Record number Let’s ♥ our Vatican issues for Jo’burg’s priests and new norms Fatima procession missionaries for old Mass Page 3 Page 7 Page 4 Vatican’s new rules to handle abuse By Cindy wooden The special provisions issued in the past ten years expanded or extended several VERY bishops’ conference in the world points of Church law: they defined a minor must have guidelines for handling as a person under age 18 rather than 16; set Eaccusations of clerical sex abuse in a statute of limitations of 20 years, instead place within a year, the Congregation for of ten years, after the victim’s 18th birthday the Doctrine of the Faith said in new guide - for bringing a Church case against an lines. alleged perpetrator; established an abbrevi - The Church in the Southern African ated administrative procedure for removing region already has such protocols in place. guilty clerics from the priesthood; and A letter to all bishops’ conferences signed included child pornography among crimes by the congregation’s prefect, Cardinal which could bring expulsion from the William Levada, said that in every nation priesthood. and region, bishops should have “clear and Barbara Dorris, a spokeswoman for the coordinated procedures” for protecting chil - Survivors Network of those Abused by dren, assisting victims of abuse, dealing Priests, known as SNAP, said in a statement with accused priests, training clergy and that “the Vatican abuse guidelines will cooperating with civil authorities. change little”, particularly because they do Describing sexual abuse of minors as “a not insist that the national guidelines be crime prosecuted by civil law”, the doctrinal binding. congregation said bishops should follow “Bishops ignore and conceal child sex local laws that require reporting cases of crimes because they can,” the SNAP state - sexual abuse to police. ment said, adding that “any ‘reform’ that Since the early 1990s about two dozen doesn’t diminish bishops’ power and discre - bishops’ conferences, starting mainly with tion is virtually meaningless”. English-speaking countries, have drawn up The doctrinal congregation said new guidelines for dealing with accusations of guidelines should reflect the fact that dioce - sexual abuse of minors filed against clergy san or national review boards “cannot sub - and other Church employees. stitute for the discernment” and decision- Other conferences—for example, the Ital - making authority of individual bishops. ian bishops’ conference—have said they did Fr Lombardi said the point of the letter Children at linmeyer marist College in Johannesburg have fun as they welcome autumn. not draw up guidelines because bishops was to make clear that an individual bishop were obliged to follow canon law and spe - “cannot abdicate his responsibility” for cial provisions enacted in 2001 by Blessed ensuring child safety and handling abuse Pope John Paul II and in 2010 by Pope cases, even though he may avail himself of Benedict XVI. the advice of outside experts. Vatican top job for lay official Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi He said the fact that the guidelines do SJ said the fact that conferences were given not have to be binding does not lessen a been eliminated. a precise deadline and only 12 months to bishops’ responsibility or the Church’s com - OPE Benedict has named a long-serving Born in 1944, in draft their guidelines demonstrates how mitment to ending abuse. Rather, he said, it lay official at the Vatican to be the Montevideo, Uruguay, number 2 official at the Pontifical seriously the Vatican takes the matter. is a recognition that in many countries all P Mr Carriquiry has the bishops have agreed to follow the same “The aim is to give bishops a strong com - Commission for Latin America. served the Vatican in Guzman Carriquiry (pictured) , 67, leaves mon denominator for drafting guidelines procedures and, culturally, did not feel a various capacities for need to have a Vatican stamp on them in his post as undersecretary of the Pontifical almost 40 years. He has appropriate to their own national situation, Council for the Laity to be the new secretary with its unique culture and legislation,” he order for them to be binding. a degree in law and “The responsibility for dealing with the of the Vatican’s Latin America commission, told reporters. social sciences and has delicts of sexual abuse of minors by clerics which promotes cooperation between the The guidelines of several countries, taught at a number of belongs in the first place to the diocesan universities. including the Southern African region, have various offices of the Vatican and the Latin bishop,” the letter said. But the adoption of He is married and been adopted as mandatory norms in those American bishops’ council. national guidelines is meant to “lead to a has four children and eight grandchildren. countries and approved by the Vatican. Mr Carriquiry, a Uruguayan, will be the common orientation within each episcopal Mr Carriquiry will serve under Canadi - The guidelines the doctrinal congrega - first to hold the position of secretary at the conference, helping to better harmonise the an Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who is president tion now is seeking throughout the world commission. The previous number 2 spot resources of single bishops in safeguarding of the Pontifical Commission for Latin do not have to be binding, the letter said, was that of vice-president, which had to be minors”. Citing Pope Benedict’s meetings occupied by a bishop. The office that has America.—CNS although they must reflect the binding pro - visions of canon law and the special provi - with representative victims of child sexual sions enacted in 2001 and last year. Continued on page 5 Bright start for Hope&Joy England returns to meatless Fridays By Simon Caldwell the death of Our Lord,” said the bishops’ res - after May launch olution. ATHOLICS in England and Wales will “The law of the Church requires Catholics STaFF RePoRTeR gious superiors, Knights of Da Gama, be obliged to abstain from meat every Catholic Women’s League and all the to abstain from meat on Fridays, or some CTIVITIES under the Hope&Joy CFriday under a new rule brought by the other form of food, or to observe some other priests of the Dundee diocese. banner are taking hold in South bishops. form of penance laid down by the bishops’ Hundreds of people have registered The “act of common witness” will take Africa following the network’s offi - conference. A their interest in Hope&Joy by e-mail effect on September 16, the first anniversary cial launch on May 8, and hundreds of ([email protected] )and SMS (to 078 “The bishops wish to re-establish the prac - individuals have signed up to Hope&Joy, of Pope Benedict’s visit to Britain. 590 0781), he said. tice of Friday penance in the lives of the according to convenor Raymond Perrier. The rule reverses a relaxation of the Friday The website ( www.hopeandjoy.org.za ) is penance regulations introduced in England faithful as a clear and distinctive mark of Hope&Joy, a unique South African ini - their own Catholic identity,” it said. tiative, was introduced in early May to the now live and constantly updated. and Wales in 1984. This allowed Catholics to Catholics can also receive inspirational choose their own form of Friday penance— The resolution said those “who cannot or Catholic faithful in features and articles choose not to eat meat as part of their nor - published in The Southern Cross , diocesan text messages of Hope&Joy. “You can get such as offering additional prayers, attending free weekly SMS in June, and then daily Mass or abstaining from alcohol. mal diet should abstain from some other newspapers and the Catholic Link parish food of which they regularly partake.” newsletter prepared by the Redemptorists. messages from July for just R3,50 per But critics have said that the end of a tra - week,” Mr Perrier said. To subscribe, text dition in which Catholics ate fish or eggs Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westmin - The British Catholic journal The Tablet ster, president of the Bishops’ Conference of also carried a report on the launch of the the word '”JOY” to 31222. instead of meat on Fridays led to a loss of Hope&Joy is a grassroots-driven net - common identity, with many Catholics England and Wales, said the bishops wanted Hope&Joy network. “to establish a shared practice, a shared habit, Mr Perrier was interviewed about work of Catholic bodies and individuals. today abstaining from meat only on Ash because habits that are carried out together Hope&Joy on Radio Veritas and Talk It intends to provide popular education Wednesday and Good Friday. are better learned and are stronger—we give Radio 702/Cape Talk. on the Catholic faith as expressed in the The return to an obligation to abstain He said presentations on Hope&Joy Second Vatican Council through all avail - from meat was a key resolution of the bish - each other mutual support.” have been made to groups of religious able media, from Internet facilities to ops’ May plenary meeting held in Leeds. “So that’s why there’s a simple, across-the- education teachers, men and women reli - preaching. “Every Friday is set aside by the Church as board expectation that this will be something a special day of penance, for it is the day of that Catholics will do.”—CNS 2 The Southern Cross, may 25 to may 31, 2011 LOCAL Alcohol Abuse Cycle needs to be broken By ClaiRe maTHieSon assistant of the Women on Farms effect of what happened in the Project (WFP), an NGO working past.