8
COMMUNITY
March 5, 2019 | The Valley Catholic
Bishop Cantú Joins Other Religious Scholars to Discuss Clergy Sexual Abuse
By Liz Sullivan
Amid the backdrop of the Berkeley
Hills, a panel of religious scholars
gathered on February 19 at Santa Clara
University’s Jesuit School of Theology
to talk about Clergy Sexual Abuse in
the Catholic Church.
The four-person panel consisted of:
Diocese of San Jose Coadjutor Bishop
Oscar Cantú, Sister Breena Kallely,
MSJ, Vivian Nabuule and Father Paul
Crowley, S.J. Both Sister Kallely and
Nabuule are graduates of the Jesuit
School of Theology and Father Crowley
is a professor of Systematic Theology
at Santa Clara and editor of Theologi-
cal Studies. Jesuit School of Theology
Professor Julie Rubio, PhD served as
the moderator.
“A Catholic university is where the
Church does its thinking,” said Jesuit
School of Theology Dean Father Kevin
O’Brien, S.J.
Bishop Cantú was asked to speak
from the vantage point of his ministe-
rial experiences in Latinx communities
in California, New Mexico where he
served as the Bishop of Las Cruces
and his home state of Texas, where
he served as Auxiliary Bishop in the
Archdiocese of San Antonio.
“It is safe to say that last sum-
mer was a summer of shame for the
Church,” said the Bishop, “for my
fellow bishops and brother priests. I
speak as a member of the Hispanic
community.”
Bishop Cantú was named Coadju-
tor Bishop in San Jose in July and was
formally welcomed to the Diocese in
late September.
“In my observations of the Diocese
and the South Bay; one thing that has
delighted me is cultural diversity.
It reminds me of my hometown of
Houston. However, the Mexican com-
munity is a silent community. That is
a pastoral concern of mine for lay and
ordained ministry. Generally, there
is a reluctance to step forward when
something happens as many families
are of mixed status and the biggest
priority is survival. Any abuse should
be reported regardless of their (im-
Diocese of San Jose Coadjutor Bishop
Oscar Cantú, Sister Breena Kallely, Vivian
Nabuule and Paul Crowley gathered on
February 19 at Santa Clara University’s
Jesuit School of Theology to talk about
Clergy Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church.
migration) status and that is where it
becomes a challenge.”
This event took place just a couple
of days before the Vatican Summit on
Clergy Abuse convened in Rome.
“The challenge is that this is just
not happening in the U.S. or Europe, it
is happening in Africa and Asia,” said
Bishop Cantú. “I pray that the better
angels will prevail.”
Sister Kallely speaking about the
Church in India said: “what we need is
a more inclusive conversation and the
Church needs to be more collaborative.
Also, respect for all is the key.”
A native of Uganda, now working
at the University of San Francisco,
Nabuule touched on the scandal and
how it is being handled in Africa.
“In Africa we don’t openly talk
about sex,” she said. “You need permis-
sion to speak about it. To me, abuse is
power translated wrongly. I envision
a Church that is accountable for its
actions.”
Finally, Father Crowley spoke about
the clergy sexual abuse scandal from a
theological point of view.
“We all are a Church in need of heal-
ing,” said Crowley. “History shows us
the absence of forgiveness is evidence
of further tragedy. I ask how our faith
in Jesus Christ might help us in the
present moment.”
The event was co-sponsored by the
Jesuit School of Theology, Santa Clara’s
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
and the Ignatian Center.
Vatican Announces Canonical Investigation of Cardinal Pell
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY -- The day Austra-
lian Cardinal George Pell was jailed
in Melbourne after being found guilty
of child sexual abuse, the Vatican
announced his case would be inves-
tigated by the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith.
“After the guilty verdict in the first
instance concerning Cardinal Pell,
the Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith will now handle the case
following the procedure and within
the time established by canonical
norm,” Alessandro Gisotti, interim
director of the Vatican press office,
said February 27.
A court in Melbourne ordered
that Cardinal Pell be taken into cus-
tody February 27; he is scheduled
to be sentenced March 13 on five
charges related to the sexual abuse
of two 13-year-old boys in the late
1990s when he was archbishop of
Melbourne. The cardinal continues
to affirm his innocence and plans to
appeal the verdict.
Cardinal Pell, a former archbishop
of Sydney, took a leave of absence in
mid-2017 from his position as prefect
of the Vatican Secretariat for the Econ-
omy. The Vatican confirmed February
26 that the cardinal’s five-year term as
prefect ended February 24.
The canonical investigation of Car-
dinal Pell announced by the Vatican
is not the first church investigation
of allegations against him; in June
2002, then-Archbishop Pell stepped
aside as archbishop of Sydney while
an independent church review board
investigated a claim that he sexually
abused a 12-year-old boy at a youth
camp in 1961 while a seminarian. The
board found insufficient evidence to
corroborate the accusations.
When a deacon, priest or bishop is
accused of abuse, the first phase of the
investigation generally is carried out
by the diocese where the abuse is al-
leged to have occurred. For instance,
in the case of Theodore E. McCarrick,
the former cardinal dismissed from
the clerical state February 16, the
initial investigation was carried out
by the Archdiocese of New York, and
once the allegations were determined
to be credible, the case was handed
over to the Congregation for the Doc-
trine of the Faith.
The Vatican statement February
27 did not mention an archdiocesan
inquiry, but apparently that is not
necessary in cases where there is a
criminal court conviction.
According to information posted
by the Vatican in conjunction with
the summit February 21-24 on abuse,
when the doctrinal congregation
opens a process, two modes of pro-
ceeding are possible: either with a
trial or with a shorter administrative
process. In both cases, the accused
has the right and opportunity to
know the evidence against him and
to respond.
If found guilty, the penalties can
vary depending on the seriousness
of the crime and, often, the age of the
accused; possible penalties include re-
moval from office, restricted ministry,
“a life of prayer and penance” without
any public ministry and dismissal
from the clerical state.
Australian Cardinal George Pell arrives at
the County Court in Melbourne Feb. 27,
2019. Cardinal Pell was jailed after being
found guilty of child sexual abuse; the Vati-
can announced his case would be investi-
gated by the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith. (CNS photo/Daniel Pockett,
AAP images via Reuters)
Statement from the California Catholic
Conference of Bishops on SB-360
Editor’s Note: On February 20,
California Democratic State Senator
Gerald “Jerry” Hill introduced SB
360, “Removing Clergy Exemption
from Child Abuse and Neglecting
Reporting.” The Bill would remove an
exemption in California’s “mandated
reporter” law and would require all
Catholic priests to reveal suspected
sexual abuse of a child (ages 1 to 17)
if the priest hears of this abuse in
“penitential communication,” that
is, confession.
CCC statement -- “Clergy are al-
ready mandatory reporters. We sup-
port that and would do nothing to
change it. Inserting government into
the Confessional does nothing to pro-
tect children and everything to erode
the fundamental constitutional rights
and liberties we enjoy as Americans.
It’s also why courts here and around
the world respect the special nature of
spiritual counseling.”