Msgr. Scicluna has previously acknowledged the past failures of “some bishops” to treat cases of suspected abuse with sufficient seriousness. In March 2010, he admitted to the Italian newspaper Avvenire that although “the Church's condemnation” of pedophilia and ephebophilia had “always been firm and unequivocal,” certain bishops had at times displayed a “misdirected desire to protect the good name of the institution” from allegations against priests.
In that same March interview, however, the monsignor defended Pope Benedict against charges of having delayed or derailed prosecution against priests accused of sexual abuse. Such allegations, he said, were “false and calumnious,” often being based on misunderstandings of the Church's disciplinary procedures.
Recalling Jesus' own admonitions in the Gospel of Matthew, Mgsr. Scicluna told Fox News in his interview last week that the Church needs to heed Christ's “words of fire” against “people who would scandalize the young.”
“If we stick to his words and are loyal to his teaching,” the promoter of justice emphasized, “we are on very good ground.”
Vatican City, Aug 25, 2010 - (EWTN News) - On Monday, Monsignor Charles Scicluna, “promoter of justice” at the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, strongly praised the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, for his “courage and determination” in investigating and prosecuting instances of sexual abuse by priests.
In an August 23 interview with Fox News, the Vatican prosecutor said that the future Pope, then-prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was outraged by offenses which had damaged public trust in the Church and “shattered the image” of Christ which priests must show to the faithful.
The prosecutor, who worked closely with Cardinal Ratzinger in the investigation of sexual abuse cases between 2002 and 2005, told Fox News that he was “a direct witness to the compassion, the frustration and the anger that these cases instilled in Cardinal Ratzinger.”
The Pope, Msgr. Scicluna said, had been deeply affected by the experience of these investigations. “It was an eye-opener to the gravity of the situation and to the great sadness of priestly betrayal,” he told Fox News.
Head Vatican Prosecutor Praises Pope's Courage and Determination in Handling Abuse Cases
Monsignor Charles Scicluna