Vatican Conference, Feb. 21-24, 2019
On Sept. 12, 2018, Pope Francis announced that all the presidents of the Catholic bishops’ conferences of the world would meet at the Vatican in February to discuss the issue of sexual abuse of minors.
A statement from the pope’s cardinal advisory board Sept. 12 said, “The Holy Father Francis, hearing the Council of Cardinals, decided to convene a meeting with the Presidents of the Bishops Conferences of the Catholic Church on the theme of ‘protection of minors.’” The summit will take place at the Vatican Feb. 21-24, 2019. Follow the process of change and development, both during the meeting and thereafter, by visiting the website, www.pbc2019.org.
US Bishops Spiritual Retreat, January 2-8, 2019
At the invitation of Pope Francis, the Bishops of the United States gathered for a spiritual retreat at Mundelein Seminary in the Archdiocese of Chicago Jan. 2-8, 2019. The US bishops gathered in prayer and unity for seven days, as brothers in the Episcopacy, as they continue their work to address the clergy sex abuse crisis. 84-year-old Father Cantalamessa, who has served as preacher of the papal household since 1980, ran the retreat which was themed "the mission of the apostles and of their successors". It drew from Mark 3:14, which says Jesus "appointed 12 -- whom he also named apostles -- that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach."
In September, the U.S. bishops Administrative Committee http://www.usccb.org/news/2018/18-152.cfm announced an action plan including a third-party reporting mechanism, standards of conduct for bishops, and protocols for bishops resigned or removed because of abuse.
**As the retreat was one of prayer and silence, there were no interviews or press conferences and no media access to the Mundelein Seminary campus. **
Following the retreat, many bishops reflected on their time there in the following interview: https://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2019/bishops-describe-their-retreat-as-inspiring-spirit-filled.cfm
Additional news sources related to this retreat can be found here:
http://www.usccb.org/news/2018/18-169.cfm
http://www.usccb.org/news/2019/19-001.cfm
https://www.chicagocatholic.com/vatican/-/article/2018/12/18/capuchin-will-lead-u-s-bishops-retreat-at-mundelein-seminary
USCCB Fall General Assembly, Nov. 12
At the urging of the Vatican, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops did not vote on two proposals they were to discuss at their fall general assembly meeting in Baltimore on Nov. 12. The proposals were to deal with their response to the clergy sex abuse crisis.
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, USCCB president, informed the bishops as they opened their fall general assembly that the Vatican wanted the bishops to delay any vote until after a February meeting with the pope and presidents of the bishops' conferences around the world that will focus on addressing clergy abuse.
The standards affected are those concerning episcopal conduct and the formation of a special committee for review of complaints against bishops for violations of the standards.
For a bishop’s perspective, see the following statement from Archbishop Paul Etienne of the Archdiocese of Anchorage: https://www.archbishopetienne.com/post-baltimore-where-are-we-and-where-are-we-going.
Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report
On August 14, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro released a report stating that more than 300 Catholic priests across Pennsylvania sexually abused children over seven decades, protected by a hierarchy of church leaders who covered it up.
The report identified 1,000 children who were victims. The 18-month investigation covered six of the state’s dioceses — Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton — and follows other state grand jury reports that revealed abuse and cover-ups in two other Pennsylvania dioceses (Philadelphia and Altoona-Johnstown).
Archbishop McCarrick
On June 20, 2018, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick was removed from public ministry after a panel substantiated that he had abused an altar boy 47 years ago while he served as a priest in New York. Pope Francis ordered a preliminary investigation into this, which was carried out by the Archdiocese of New York. At the conclusion, the relative relevant documentation was forwarded to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
July 28, Cardinal McCarrick submitted his resignation from the College of Cardinals and Pope Francis accepted it. Pope Francis ordered Archbishop McCarrick to a “life of prayer and penance”.
On October 6, Pope Francis decided to combine the results of the initial investigation, of Archbishop McCarrick with a new “thorough study” of all the documentation contained in the Vatican archives in order to “ascertain all the relevant facts” surrounding the ex-cardinal.
The statement went on to say that the Holy See would “make known the conclusions of the matter regarding Archbishop McCarrick” in “due course”.
Cardinal McCarrick was under investigation of the 4 dioceses involving these allegations. On February 16, 2019 The Holy See confirmed that Pope Francis defrocked former U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Vatican officials found him guilty of soliciting for sex while hearing confession and sexual crimes against minors and adults.
McCarrick, 88, is the highest-ranking churchman to be laicized. He can no longer celebrate Mass or other sacraments, wear clerical vestments or be addressed by any religious title.
Vigano
August 26, 2018, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, claimed in an 11-page written statement that Pope Francis knew about strict canonical sanctions imposed on McCarrick by Pope Benedict XVI but chose to repeal them. Archbishop Vigano, who served as apostolic nuncio in Washington D.C. from 2011-2016, then calls for Pope Francis’ resignation. In the next two months, Abp Vigano issued two more statements. Fact checking by the Italian media, and a statement by the head of the Congregation for Bishops, Cardinal Ouellet, call Vigano’s assertions into question. Ouellet has access to the archives and says that there is no basis for saying that Pope Francis knew about McCarrick or cancelled McCarrick’s suspension from public life.
Pope calls meeting with heads of all bishops’ conferences to address abuse crisis
At the close of the Sept. 10-12 Council of Cardinals meeting, in which members discussed the recent sexual abuse scandals, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis asked all presidents of bishops’ conferences around the world to travel to Rome for a special meeting to address the crisis.
The gathering will focus on “the protection of minors” and is set to take place Feb. 21-24, 2019, after the pope’s trip to Panama for the global World Youth Day encounter in January.