Protect, listen, and heal: papal encouragement for Italian bishops’ efforts to address sexual abuse
November 20, 2023
» Continue to this story on Vatican Press Office
CWN Editor's Note: Pope Francis received participants in a meeting organized by the Italian Episcopal Conference for the protection of minors and vulnerable people and suggested “three verbs to you, from which you may draw guidance for any initiative: protect, listen and heal.”
“The ‘healing’ of wounds is also a work of justice,” Pope Francis said on November 18. “Precisely for this reason it is important to prosecute those who commit such crimes, especially in ecclesial contexts. And they too have the moral duty of a profound personal conversion, that leads to recognition of their own vocational infidelity, to the resumption of the spiritual life and the humble request for forgiveness from the victims of their actions.”
As he offered encouragement to those in attendance, the Pope also called for broader anti-child pornography efforts. “Deal with something very bad that happens, which are pornographic films using children ... Please, work on this: it is a battle we must fight, because the worst things are spread via our smartphones.”
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