The Pope opened the summit on sexual abuse in the Church and everyone had to hear the testimonies of the victims – 21/02/2019

Opening Thursday the historic summit of religious leaders around the world to address the crisis of badual abuse in the Catholic Church, Pope Francis said that "the holy people of God are watching us and not waiting for simple and reduced sentences, but concrete and effective measures put into practice "

In the so-called new hall of the synod, in the large palace of the general audience, gathering about 190 religious, including 114 presidents of episcopal conferences and superiors of all male and female orders, in addition to the "ministers" of the pontiff in the government of the Roman Curia.

It is with these words of the Argentine that Jorge Bergoglio opened the Meeting on the Protection of Minors, which focuses on the acts of pedophilia of priests, that is to say with victims minor. The abuse of adults (especially seminarians), the rape of nuns and other crimes have been left out of this historic summit, relegated by the very serious case that caused the church one of the worst planetary crises of its two thousandth anniversary.

Look also

Clarin Bulletins

What happened today? We tell you the most important news of the day and what will happen tomorrow when you get up

Monday to Friday afternoon.

The pontiff said that before the badual injury of children and adolescents, it was thought to address the patriarchs, cardinals, archbishops, male and female religious superiors and leaders in general, so that all "listen to the Holy Spirit" and, with the docility of your guide, listen to "the cry of the little ones who ask for justice".

"The weight of pastoral and ecclesial responsibility obliges us to discuss together synodically, sincerely and deeply how to deal with this evil that afflicts the Church and humanity," he said.

Look also

An important part of his speech was the announcement of the distribution of a document with some important criteria. He said that these are "some guidelines" to help reflection and for this reason, he insisted, "they are a starting point".

"It comes from you and comes back to you without taking away the creativity that can come into being," he added.

The pope asked "the Holy Spirit to support us in these days and to help us to turn this evil into an opportunity for awareness and purification"

"May the Blessed Virgin enlighten us in our attempt to heal serious injury that the scandal of pedophilia has caused both children and believers, "concluded Francisco.

The moderator of the 3 plenary sessions, the papal exporter Federico Lombardi, a Jesuit (as Bergoglio) who gave logistical indications on the work that took place on Thursday and Friday in 2 fundamental moments: 1) the sessions plenary sessions and 2) working groups divided by languages.

Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle then spoke: "The smell of the sheep. Feel the difficulties and heal the wounds, center of the shepherd's task ".

A question-and-answer game was immediately started between the participants under the direction of the moderator of Lombardi.

Look also

The second exhibition of this first day was led by Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta. the greatest expert in the investigation of major bad abuse scandals committed by clerks. He addressed the theme "The Church as a Country Hospital: Assuming Responsibility."

The voices of the victims

The testimony of 5 victims of abusive priests was also reproduced on video. It was a moment of strong impactbecause some are loaded with hardness.

The Pope and the 190 participants followed in a tense silence a Latin American who said: "The consequences are obvious, in all respects, and remain for life."

The victim explained that when he had reported badual abuse by a priest, "the first reaction was to treat me as a liar, to turn my back and to say that I and the others were enemies of the Church. "

He said the victims should be believed, respected and accompanied: "You must repair them, you must be with them, you are the doctors of souls, and in some cases you have become the murderers of souls, the murderers of the world. Faith, what a frightening contradiction!

One woman said that she had to have bad with a priest at the age of 15: "It lasted 13 years in a row. I was pregnant 3 times and had an abortion 3 times, simply because I did not want to use a condom or contraceptive method. And every time I refused to have bad, he beat me"

Look also

A man from Eastern Europe asked the clergy present "to learn to listen" to those who denounce.

An Asian recalled that He was badually harbaded by priests more than 100 times, "which has created trauma and bad memories throughout my life".

Vatican Correspondent ZAE