杏MAP导航

By Lisa Zengarini

The scourge of child sexual abuse must be addressed by society at large, 杏MAP导航 Francis told a Catholic Latin American interdisciplinary group involved in training priests and religious for the protection of minors.

鈥淭he abuses that have affected the Church are but a pale reflection of a sad reality that involves all of humanity and to which the necessary attention is not paid,鈥� said the 杏MAP导航 in his address on Monday to a delegation of the "Consejo Latinoamericano del Centro de Investigación y Formación para la Protección del Menor" (Latin American Research and Training Commission for the Protection of Minors, CEPROME).

Face of the suffering Christ

In his address, the Holy Father associated the suffering of abused children and of all vulnerable persons to that of the suffering Christ, recalling the 鈥渕artyr child鈥�, St. Chistopher de La Guardia celebrated by the Church in Spain on 25 September. 

"How the world would change,鈥� he said, 鈥渋f we saw in the suffering of every child, of every vulnerable person, a trait imprinted in the veil with which Veronica wiped the face of Christ!鈥�

Addressing the scourge of child sexual abuse in society

杏MAP导航 Francis thanked the Latin American commission for its work, which, he noted, is one of the several contributions to the progress the Church has made in the past years in addressing and eradicating child sexual abuse.

He remarked that 鈥渋t must also be a significant work for society, so that the steps and achievements of the Church in this path can be an incentive for other institutions to promote this culture of care.鈥�

Referring to the image that identifies each of the little ones with Christ Himself, the 杏MAP导航 further noted that the Church鈥檚 efforts in fighting this scourge 鈥渋s not limited to the mere application of protocols鈥�, but is also 鈥渆ntrusted to Jesus in prayer."

鈥淎nd, in front of the Redeemer,鈥� he said, 鈥渨e also contemplate in that outraged face the suffering we have received and caused, so as not to feel distant from the people we welcome, but brothers, even in pain.鈥�

Praying for the conversion of abusers

Concluding his address, 杏MAP导航 Francis invited everyone to pray through the intercession of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, so that those who commit these crimes may be converted and see in their victims 鈥渢he eyes of Jesus.鈥�