杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

鈥淲ith these few lines, I would like to draw near to you as a brother,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis writes to the U.S. Bishops, who are taking part in a spiritual retreat to consider their response to the crisis of clerical sexual abuse.

In his letter, the 杏MAP导航 says he wants to encourage the Bishops in their prayer, and in the steps they are taking 鈥渢o combat the 鈥榗ulture of abuse鈥� and to deal with the crisis of credibility.鈥�

Be attentive and discerning

鈥淎t times of great confusion and uncertainty,鈥� he writes, we need to be attentive and discerning, to free our hearts of compromises and false certainties, in order to hear what the Lord asks of us in the mission He has given us.鈥� But, the 杏MAP导航 warns, while many actions may be 鈥渉elpful, good, and necessary,鈥� they may not have 鈥渢he 鈥榝lavor鈥� of the Gospel.鈥� 鈥淭o put it colloquially,鈥� he says, 鈥渨e have to be careful that 鈥榯he cure does not become worse than the disease鈥�.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis notes 鈥渢he Church鈥檚 credibility has been seriously undercut鈥� by abuse of power and conscience, and by sexual abuse; 鈥渂ut even more by the efforts made to conceal and deny them.鈥� The attempt to cover-up such 鈥渟ins and crimes,鈥� he says, 鈥渆nabled them to fester and cause even greater harm.鈥�

A renewed approach

The 杏MAP导航 says, 鈥渃ombatting the culture of abuse, the loss of credibility, the resulting bewilderment and confusion, and the discrediting of our mission urgently demand of us a renewed and decisive approach,鈥� which cannot be reduced simply to 鈥渋ssuing stern degrees,鈥� or 鈥渃reating new committees or improving flowcharts.鈥� 鈥淚n a word,鈥� he says, 鈥渁 new ecclesial season needs bishops who can teach others how to discern God鈥檚 presence in the history of His people, and not mere administrators.鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis says, 鈥渙ur primary duty is to foster a shared spirit of discernment.鈥� This, he continues, 鈥渨ill enable us to be fully immersed in reality, seeking to appreciate and hear it from within, without being held hostage to it.鈥�

The renewal called for by 杏MAP导航 Francis involves a 鈥渃ollegial awareness of our being sinners in need of constant conversion鈥� which will 鈥渁llow us to enter into affective communion with our people.鈥� This approach, he says, 鈥渄emands of us the decision to abandon a modus operandi of disparaging, discrediting, playing the victim or the scold in our relationships, and instead to make room for the gentle breeze that the Gospel alone can offer.鈥�

Credibility and trust

Credibility, the 杏MAP导航 insists, 鈥渋s born of trust, and trust is born of sincere, humble and generous service to all, but especially to those dearest to the Lord鈥檚 heart.鈥�

鈥淗ow sublime is the task at hand,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 says to the Bishops. 鈥淲e cannot keep silent or downplay it because of our own limitations and faults.鈥� Quoting Mother Theresa, he says 鈥淵es, I have many human faults and failures鈥� but God bends down and uses us, you and me, to be His love and His compassion in the world; He bears our sins, our troubles, and our faults.鈥�

Please see the full text of the on the website of the USCCB.