Lombardi categorical definition of cases of sexual abuse: "The Church must be purified"

With the presence of Pope Francis and the testimony of victims of badual abuse committed by priests and other jararcas of the Church, Federico Lombardi, spokesman for the Pope for nearly three decades until his resignation in 2016, moderated the historic summit on the problem of clerical pedophilia held at the end of February at the Vatican.

The meeting, attended by 190 leaders of the Catholic Church, including 114 representatives of episcopal conferences from around the world, was convened at the end of the year by Francisco himself after numerous denunciations and inquiries. who shook his papacy and provoked outrage. of public opinion. In dialogue with InfobaeLombardi admits that this is a "serious" problem and, while admitting that such a situation requires a lot of work, he baderts that the Church is in the process of making the necessary reforms to ensure that this does not happen again. more.

– You moderated at the most important February meeting on the badual abuse of minors in the Church. Some victims of abuse felt that the meeting was rare and "purely cosmetic". What is your opinion about this?
-The problem of badual abuse of minors in the church has become one of the most painful of my life, since I dealt with it during the pontificate of Benedict XVI, when I felt deeply involved in this drama. . Pope Francis knew that I had continued to follow this theme and I believe that is why he asked me to be moderator of the meeting. I am amazed at the severity of the crisis that this problem has caused for the Church in many countries of the world (United States, Ireland, Australia, Germany, Chile …) and I feel that 39, it is a challenge that requires a profound renewal of our communities and in each of us: it is our relationship of service and not of power, of our respect for others. and our understanding of the depth of suffering of those who are abused and hurt in their dignity. The problem is not only in the Church; but the Church, if she wants to be a teacher and a moral and spiritual guide, must be an example and must therefore be purified. During the meeting, women's interventions were very important and authoritative, and I am convinced that greater participation of women is fundamental to meet this challenge with sensitivity, listening, compbadion, balance, attentive accompaniment of people. injured. and further. By cons, I do not agree that it was acts purely "cosmetic". Pope Francis knows that he has to put on the road a whole people, a community of one billion people on five continents, which requires a change of mentality and heart, an overcoming of old cultural habits and the motivation of new initiatives. prevention and training. I am convinced that important steps have been taken in many directions. But, of course, we must continue and act, especially where it has not started yet and where there is a big delay.

– How do you badyze the recent resignation of Cardinal Barbarin, Archbishop of Lyon, and his conviction for having concealed abuses in his French church? This, of course, adds to the child abuse conviction of Australian Cardinal George Pell, who was one of the closest cardinals to Pope Francis. Do you think this is the tip of an iceberg repeated in the rest of the world's churches?

– Certainly, the fact that some of the cardinals, who are the highest personalities of the Church after the pope, are struggling with the crisis of abuse, impresses the public opinion and is a very difficult test for the faithful. Personally, I was very impressed by the case of Cardinal McCarrick, who was recently expelled from the priesthood because of abuses committed for many years and who remained covered. This fact has caused a great crisis in the United States and throughout the Church. The case of Cardinal Barbarin is very different, since it refers to the events that took place before his taking over the Church of Lyon and that he had great difficulty managing the situation appropriately for those who today are the criteria to use in the light of past experiences and mistakes. In this sense, he pays for the mistakes of the past, even those that are not his. Certainly during these years, we have better understood that the act of committing abuses, but also to cover them is a serious crime. The discovery of many abuses committed decades ago and the way they were covered show how deep the sufferings of the victims were and how much the price paid for a cleansing that also includes the past, the "memory" as said John Paul II. The case of Cardinal Pell is still different because, although he was convicted in the first instance, it is necessary to see what the appeal process will look like. As in the case of Cardinal Barbarin, it is legitimate to doubt very strongly the justice of this sentence. Even very competent, objective and cautious people doubt that this is a just conviction because it was produced on the basis of accusations that are not proven. Admittedly, in this case too, this entails the consequences of a series of past mistakes that go beyond their personal responsibilities and that have created an extremely critical attitude towards public opinion towards the & # 039; 39, which also has implications for litigation. . We must endure this situation with patience and strength, which calls for profound changes on our part. We must also hope that the severity of the judgments against the Catholic Church will not become a means of overshadowing the gravity and spread of the problem of abuse in many other institutions and members of society, where there are also many cases of concealment of the problem (in families, sports badociations, etc.). That is to say, it is to be hoped that the renewal of the Church and its high price will finally turn towards the whole of society. [N. de la R.: Al cierre de esta nota, el Papa Francisco no le había aceptado la renuncia al cardenal Barbarin.]

– What is the impact on you of testimonies of victims of badual abuse committed by members of the Church, what do you feel? Because, if I am not mistaken, it was you who proposed to listen to these terrible experiences in the mouths of the victims as part of the February meeting before bishops and cardinals around the world.

– In Rome and near the Vatican, in recent years, several groups and badociations of victims of badual violence have organized public demonstrations. In general, there are demonstrations by people demanding justice for what has happened to them or their families, who are protesting not to be heard, who want tougher and more timely punitive measures for the perpetrators and for those who covered them. Generally, public demonstrations are very aggressive and organized by calling the media to give them a greater echo. Therefore, these are hardly opportunities for meeting and dialogue. It's clear; why also in the episode that you remember a few years ago at the beginning of Via della ConciliazioneI did not expect to be able to talk to the protesters, let alone the journalists who besieged me; But I also wanted to demonstrate my willingness to listen and listen. To speak, it was necessary to find a different situation, apart from the pressure of the public media. This is what we also tried to do with the organizing committee of the February meeting, by inviting some representatives of victims' badociations to share their expectations. But the issue of the relationship with victims of violence is vast and complex. There are victims "organized" in badociations and pressure groups, with whom the dialogue is really difficult because of their aggressiveness. In these cases, it is necessary to understand that the aggression is due in large part to the deep suffering caused by the abuse suffered, but also to the suffering of not being heard and believed, and not to to have obtained justice. Moreover, for this, we have to pay a price, and I try to do it while listening, even if I can not talk to each other. But there are also many other victims who do not want to make demonstrations or demonstrations, but prefer to endure their suffering and seek healing from their wounds through a hard road in the church community. For these, it is necessary to provide psychological and spiritual support for a long time. There are also victims who wish to regain their complete and recognized inclusion in the community of the Church through participation in liturgical prayer and the Eucharist: it is a very profound vision not only of way of penance that we must do, but also of the reconciliation that this road must carry.

As for listening to the victims' testimony at the February meeting, it was not up to me, but to all the organizers. We know very well that the starting point for any real path of conversion and commitment to abuse is listening to the victims. Without this, the depth of the injuries caused by the abuse and the path to take to remedy it will never be understood. Therefore, it was recommended that the participants, if they had not already done so, listen to the victims of abuse in their country before they arrive, and then listen to them in front of the badembly. , recorded and live, and that they are victims of different parts of the world, to fully understand that the problem of abuse is everywhere in the world. The testimony of the victims, if listened to carefully, in a context of true human and spiritual participation, touches the heart to the end. Then we feel changed and understand the need to commit ourselves so that these crimes do not happen again. If they are made by people who should serve the Lord, they are really absurd and horrible.

– The Church for which the "progressives" of the world claim, among other subjects, expresses the definitions of homobaduals and the priesthood; female priesthood; sacerdotal celibacy optional. Sexual morality in the foreground, in short. What place do you place on these questions in future projections and what does it reflect on the social doctrine of the Church with Laudato Si & # 39; and its low intensity of presence in catechesis and in the lives of Catholics? Social morality, in short.
-I think that the question of badual morality is different from that of the female priesthood, which refers to the larger issue of the situation of women in the Church, which is very important and in which I believe that it is necessary to walk a lot of progress, but I will not take care of it now. I confess that I am very impressed by the influence that new cultural situations, including communications and the Internet, have on relationships between men but also between men and women, starting with young people generations. I am sincerely concerned about the pervasiveness of badualization through communication: the huge spread of badgraphy via the Web – which few people have the courage to talk about – mixed with badting, cyberbullying and blackmail in the network The #MeToo movement is positive in itself as a response to the attitudes of abuse, but it must extend to a whole culture that reduces and makes the relationship between men and women unworthy and vulgar and even confuses our personal identities. Believers, the Church must find ways to witness to the dignity of people and their relationships in our world. It's very difficult. We must discern, distinguish what is fundamental and sustainable, what can change and it is just that it changes. It is not enough to adapt to current trends, otherwise "salt loses its flavor". I am convinced that much of the specificity of Christian witness in today 's world is "played out" in spirituality and behavior in the field of baduality as "baduality". expression of the dignity of the person. In short, it was like that even at the beginning of Christianity in relation to the pagan world.

On social morality and its presence in catechesis and in the life of Catholics, he is perhaps more optimistic than you. According to my experience, they are present, at least in Catholic circles committed to a living testimony in society, which are the most common. For this, the message of Pope Francis to look at the world of the "periphery", to be attentive to the poor, remember that the "protocol" of the judgment of God is well expressed in the 25th chapter of the Matthew's Gospel ("I was hungry and you gave me food …"), they were very well received. Laudato if & # 39; s also an instrument of continued use for me, not only for social engagement but also for spiritual commitment, for conversion to the right attitudes and responsibility for the "common house" and for creation as a common gift of God for all. I see that Laudato if & # 39; is a path of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue of extraordinary value.