According to Vatican commentator Paolo Rodari on his blog “palazzoapostolico,” this coming Saturday, Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, Charles J. Scicluna the promoter of justice for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Father Francois Xavier Dumortier, rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, are scheduled to announce a new Gregorian University initiative, supported by the Vatican, entitled “Towards Healing and Renewal.” The initiative will be launched in February of 2012. The objective is to provide "a comprehensive response to the problem of sexual abuse and the protection of the vulnerable."
The program will involve experts from Virtus, a North American program designed to prevent abuse. Together with Father Hans Zollner, Dean of the Institute of Psychology and Head of the Preparatory Committee of the symposium and Monsignor Klaus Peter Franzl, from the Archdiocese of Monaco of Bavaria they will work to build "a new center of multilingual e-learning, available to church leaders, to provide information, disseminate resources and best practices in order to respond to the problem."
The title for the program is the same as the one used by the Bishops of Ireland in their reply to Pope Benedict’s letter to them concerning clergy abuse. Apparently, the Pope is closely following this development. In the Irish Bishop’s letter the title "Towards healing and renewal" was meant to signify “ to look for ways to heal the wounds as far as possible: praying for the victims, listening to their stories, providing spiritual support, building a secure future for children in the church, renewal of dioceses, religious congregations and society, and support economic structures that deal with prevention and protection of minors.” If this is what the Gregorian hopes to convey by choosing this title, the effort will be much appreciated.
Friday, June 17, 2011
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