(Vatican Radio) Members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors gathered in Rome for their Plenary Assembly February 6-8. A statement issued by the Vatican said the members who took part in the Assembly were: Cardinal Seán O’Malley OFM Cap. (United States), President; Mons. Robert Oliver (United States), Secretary; Rev. Luis Manuel Ali…
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(Vatican Radio) Members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors gathered in Rome for their Plenary Assembly February 6-8. A statement issued by the Vatican said the members who took part in the Assembly were: Cardinal Seán O’Malley OFM Cap. (United States), President; Mons. Robert Oliver (United States), Secretary; Rev. Luis Manuel Ali Herrera (Colombia); Catherine Bonnet (France); Marie Collins (Ireland); Gabriel Dy-Liacco (Philippines); Sheila Hollins (England); Bill Kilgallon (New Zealand); Sr. Kayula Lesa, MSC (Zambia); Sr. Hermenegild Makoro, CPS (Zimbabwe); Kathleen McCormack (Australia); Claudio Papale (Italy); Peter Saunders (England); Hanna Suchocka (Poland); Krysten Winter-Green (United States); Rev. Humberto Miguel YÁÑEZ, SJ (Argentina) and Rev. Hans Zolliner, SJ (Germany).
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The statement went on to say that this year’s meeting was the first opportunity for all 17 members of the recently expanded Commission to come together and share their progress in the task entrusted them by the Holy Father, namely to advise Pope Francis in the safeguarding and protection of minors in the Church.
During the meetings, members presented reports from their Working Groups of experts, developed over the past year. The Commission then completed their recommendations regarding the formal structure of the Commission and agreed upon several proposals to submit to the Holy Father for consideration.
The Working Groups are an integral part of the Commission’s working structure. Between Plenary Sessions, these groups bring forward research and projects in areas that are central to the mission of making the Church ‘a safe home’ for children, adolescents, and vulnerable adults. These include: pastoral care for survivors and their families, education, guidelines in best practice, formation to the priesthood and religious life, ecclesial and civil norms governing allegations of abuse, and the accountability of people in positions of responsibility within the Church when dealing with allegations of abuse.
The Commission, the statement reads, “is keenly aware that the issue of accountability is of major importance.” In its Assembly, members agreed on an initial proposal to submit to Pope Francis for consideration. Moreover, the Commission is developing processes to ensure accountability for everyone in the Church – clergy, religious, and laity – who work with minors.
The statement continues:
Part of ensuring accountability is raising awareness and understanding at all levels of the Church regarding the seriousness and urgency in implementing correct safeguarding procedures. To this end, the Commission also agreed to develop seminars to educate Church leadership in the area of the protection of minors.
Following on from the Holy Father’s Letter to Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences and to Superiors of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, dated February 2, the Commission looks forward to collaborating with churches on a local level in making its expertise available to ensure best practices in guidelines for the protection of minors.
The Commission is also preparing materials for a Day of Prayer for all those who have been harmed by sexual abuse. This will underscore our responsibility to work for spiritual healing and also help raise awareness among the Catholic community about the scourge of the abuse of minors.
Pope Francis writes in his letter to Church leaders “families need to know that the Church is making every effort to protect their children”. Conscious of the gravity of our task to advise the Holy Father in this effort, we ask you to support our work with prayer.
(from Vatican Radio)…
HEALING MINISTRY During Jesus’ ministry “he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons.” This is the case in today’s Gospel. Jesus fulfills the vision of Psalm 147: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Jesus knew, however, that he couldn’t possibly heal all the illness in…
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(Vatican Radio) Christians are called to care for God’s creation. That was the Pope’s message at Mass this Monday morning at the Casa Santa Marta. The Holy Father also spoke about the “second creation”, the one performed by Jesus that he “re-created” from what had been ruined by sin. Listen God creates the universe but creation…
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(Vatican Radio) Christians are called to care for God’s creation. That was the Pope’s message at Mass this Monday morning at the Casa Santa Marta. The Holy Father also spoke about the “second creation”, the one performed by Jesus that he “re-created” from what had been ruined by sin.
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God creates the universe but creation does not end, “he continues to sustain what he has created.” That was the focus of Pope Francis’ homily as he dwelt on a passage from Genesis, in the first reading, which recounts the creation of the universe. “In today’s Gospel”, the Pope commented, we see “the other creation of God”, “that of Jesus, who came to re-create what had been ruined by sin.”
We see Jesus among the people, he said, and “those who touched him were saved” it is the “re-creation”. “This ‘second creation’ Pope Francis, is even more wonderful than the first; This second work is wonderful. “Finally, there is “another job”, that of “perseverance in the faith” that which the Holy Spirit works on:
“God works, continues to work, and we can ask ourselves how we should respond to this creation of God, which is born of love, because he works through love. In the ‘first creation’ we must respond with the responsibility that the Lord gives us: ‘The earth is yours, take it forward; let it grow ‘. Even for us there is a responsibility to nurture the Earth, to nurture Creation, to keep it and make it grow according to its laws. We are the lords of creation, not its masters. ”
The Pope warned, however, that we must be “careful not to become masters of Creation, but to make it go forward, faithful to its laws.” Therefore, he added, “this is the first response to the work of God: to be protectors of Creation”:
“When we hear that people have meetings about how to preserve creation, we can say: ‘No, they are the greens!’ No, they are not the greens! This is the Christian! This is ‘our response to the’ first creation ‘of God. And’ our responsibility. A Christian who does not protect Creation, who does not let it grow, is a Christian who does not care about the work of God, that work that was born from the love of God for us. And this is the first response to the first creation: protect creation, make it grow. ”
On the subject of the “second creation Pope Francis looked to the figure of Saint Paul saying, this Saint tells us to let ourselves be “reconciled to God”, “go on the road of inner reconciliation, community reconciliation, because reconciliation is the work of Christ.” And again, echoing the words of Saint Paul, the Pope said that we should not be grieved that the Holy Spirit is within us, that he is within us and works in us. The Holy Father added that we “believe in the person of God”: “the person is the Father, Son and the person of the Holy Spirit”:
“And all three are involved in this creation, in this re-creation, in this perseverance in re-creation. And to all three of them our response is: to preserve and nurture Creation, let ourselves be reconciled with Jesus, with God in Jesus Christ, every day, and do not be grieved by the Holy Spirit, not drive it away: he is the host of our hearts, he who accompanies us, he who makes us grow. ”
“May the Lord – Pope Francis concluded – give us the grace to understand that he” is at work “and give us the grace to respond appropriately to this labour of love.”
(from Vatican Radio)…