(Toronto, 65 years old), is probably the most prestigious figure within the Vatican in the fight against child abuse. Author of the historic investigation against, also that of the bishops of Chile or the recent investigation on the Peruvian sodalicio, returned in 2019 to the Vatican organization chart to try to stop the bleeding by which the Catholic Church is bleeding: pedophilia in the clergy. The Pope entrusted him with a primary role as the deputy secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith and as a member of the Synod Organizing Committee that was held in Rome with all the presidents of the Episcopal Conferences in the world. Scicluna is considered the black beast of the abusers, a true pedophile and cover -up hunter in the clergy. Prudent and discreet, he confesses that Francisco has lived as “a great shock”He does not want to get wet on the need for the next pontiff to be relentless in this fight. But he warns that he cannot ignore the cry of the victims.
Ask. What will be Francisco’s inheritance? He made huge reforms and will depend on who is happening to him or not reversible.
Answer. Obviously, the new Pope will have to be honest with himself and display his way of seeing the Church. It cannot be a photocopy of the previous one. We will have to leave the freedom to make your decisions. And we hope they are done in tune with the demands of these times. We will follow them.
P. This Pope has polarized the Church a lot. There have been many tensions. Should the new one heal those fractures?
R. A prophet faithful to the Gospel will always be a sign of contradictions. There will always be tensions, each Pope has been a symbol of those counterpositions.
P. One of the pontificate pillars has been at what point is it?
R. The list of reforms, laws and documents is impressive. In 2014 he created the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, then a special school in the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (CDF) to study cases of abuse to minors; In 2016 he made a Motu proprio on the responsibility of the Church in these cases … there is a new theology of the Church’s response to this matter. When one of ours hurts, we are all injured. And that holds us responsible to respond to the plague of abuse.
P. Beyond the laws and norms, there is a more difficult cover -up culture to fight. Has something changed?
R. There is still much to do. Cultures need a conversion and convergence to be able to promote the complaint. Because another problem is that many victims protect themselves through shame, silence. And that is such a rooted culture that hinders the culture of the complaint. It cannot be said that everything is resolved, there is a lot of work, there are fair foundations, but the conversion of culture needs a lot of time.
P. It gives the feeling that automatisms do not work and that the cases that were resolved were for personal efforts of the Pope: Chile, Legionaries …
R. Justice is not done with automatisms, discernment is needed, respect for people already really. They are structures that must work, and in that there is work to be done. I hope that job is continued.
P. Do you think that Francisco’s death could relax that fight or provide less instruments to the Church?
R. The instruments are there and you have to thank Francisco. Now you have to use them. But we should not be afraid of relaxes in this matter: it is the people of God who asks for justice. That desire will not die. It is something that must be above any pope. This is not his pontifical shield, it is about the colorless of children and children. No one can ignore the cry of God’s people and the victims.
P. You are an deputy secretary of the CDF and head of the department dedicated to abuse. How many people work there? Does personal lack?
R. Look, I am also a bishop of a great diocese. And the fight against child abuse is not done in the CDF, but in the parishes, in schools, in the dioceses. The Pope has insisted that each diocese have instruments for listening and promotion of the guardianship of minors. The CDF is important because these crimes find the criminal response there. But the battle is lost and won in the parish, in the seminars where future priests are formed. That’s where war should be fought.
P. But many in the CDF complain about lack of means for the number of cases that arrive.
R. We can try to continue more personal dicastery. There are now about 40 people who are dedicated to this. But it is only part of the Church’s response. Children’s guardianship is not guaranteed there, but promoting it in the parishes, where people are.
P. Is the legal apparatus enough?
R. The law must continually adapt to reality. And in the last 25 years it has changed because reality has done it. 25 years ago there was no concept of child pornography on the Internet, for example. We will not locate any legislation in an urn.
