THE IMPACT OF PEDOPHILIA: CRISIS ON THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH

Authors

  • Charles J Scicluna Archdiocese of Malta

Keywords:

Sexual Abuse of Minors by Clerics, a Tragic Wound to the Church, Truth as the Basis of Justice, Respect for Procedural Laws, Justice

Abstract

The author presents the issue of pedophilia affecting the Universal Church under four main headings highlighting various aspects related to them: 1. Sexual Abuse of Minors by Clerics is a Grave Violation of Divine Positive and Ecclesiastical Law, 2. Sexual Abuse of Minors by Clerics is a Tragic Wound to the Church, 3. Truth as the Basis of Justice: Justice is at Times Called Truth; Justice as A Participation in the Truth Evokes A Response from the Individual’s Conscience; Respect of the Truth Generates Confidence in the Rule of Law; Disrespect for the Truth Generates Distrust and Suspicion; The Protection of Rights is Implemented within the Context of the Concern for the Common Good; Respect for Procedural Laws Avoids Unfortunate Distortions of the “Pastoral” Nature of Church Law, and finally 4. The Role of the Catholic Church in the Prevention of Sexual Abuse of Minors: The Well-being of the Child as a Paramount Concern; The Care and Respect of the “Innocence” of the Child; The Protection of the Right to a Healthy Upbringing; Awareness of Child Abuse as a Tragic Wound; Empowerment of Children and Communities; Education; Disclosure; Formation and Screening of Pastoral Agents; Codes of Conduct; Cooperation with State Agencies; Care for Victims and Perpetrators; Welfare Principle in Decisions Concerning Personnel; Openness to Research and Development; Commitment and Accountability.

Author Biography

Charles J Scicluna, Archdiocese of Malta

Mgr. Charles J. Scicluna was born of Maltese parents in Toronto, Canada on 15 May 1959. He was educated in Malta where he graduated Doctor of Laws in 1984. After completing his Licentiate in Pastoral Theology he was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Malta on 11 July 1986. He read Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University and obtained the doctorate with specialization in Jurisprudence in 1991. His thesis, The Essential Definition of Marriage according to the 1917 and 1983 Codes of Canon Law: An Exegetical and Comparative Study, was published by the University Press of America in 1995. After his Rome studies Mgr Scicluna worked on the Malta Metropolitan Tribunal as Defender of the Bond and was a lecturer in Pastoral Theology and Canon Law at the University of Malta. In 1995 he was called to Rome to work on the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura as Substitute Promoter of Justice. In October 2002 Blessed John Paul II nominated Mgr. Scicluna as Promoter of Justice of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He is Visiting Lecturer in Penal Procedural Law at the Faculty of Canon Law of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

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Published

2020-08-02

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2011): Iustitia: Dharmaram Journal of Canon Law

Section

Articles