The only non-Western member of the committee organizing the Feb. 21-24 Vatican summit on clerical sexual abuse can contribute “deep insights” at the meeting, according to a member of the pope’s commission for child protection. Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai joins Chicago His Eminence Cardinal Blasé Cupich, Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna and German Jesuit Father Hans Zollner to lead the efforts to organize the event, which will bring together the presidents of every bishops’ conference in the world.
As reported by cruxnow.com, Sister Arina Gonsalves, an Indian nun and member of the Vatican’s Commission for the Protection of Minors, said Gracias’s “wide experience” would be useful: The cardinal serves on the pope’s C9 council of cardinal advisers, leads India’s bishops’ conference, and just concluded a term as the president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences. “He can contribute deep insights on various topics with Asian perspective and therefore his contribution will be rich and varied. The proposal for such a meeting was developed by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, was reviewed by the Council of Cardinals, of which Cardinal Oswald Gracias is a member,” Sister Arina said. “From my experience, I know that Cardinal Gracias has taken the protection of minors very, very seriously. His Eminence has promulgated the Child Protection Policy in the Archdiocese of Bombay since July 16, 2015,” Gonsalves said.
The commission was established by Pope Francis in 2014, and is headed by Boston Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley. Zollner also serves on the commission, which has been tasked by the pontiff in helping to organize the February summit.
Source: www.cruxnow.com
