MEETINGS AT THE VATICAN

Even as Pope Francis prepares to receive Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, President of the United States Bishops’ Conference, at the Vatican this coming Thursday, the Vatican Press Office has announced that the Holy Father has called a special meeting of the Presidents of all the Bishops’ Conferences around the world to discuss the sexual abuse scandal presently crippling the Church.

In a statement released this evening in response to journalists’ questions, Holy See Press Office Director Greg Burke said:

"This Thursday, 13 September 2018, the Holy Father will receive in the apostolic palace His Eminence Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States of America, together with His Eminence Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston, president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. 

With them will be H.E. Mons. José Horacio Gómez, Archbishop of Los Angeles, vice president of the same episcopal conference; and Monsignor Brian Bransfield, Secretary General. 

The audience will take place at noon.”

Cardinal DiNardo has been seeking an audience since August, and said in an August 27th statement he was eager to have the Holy Father’s support “for our plan of action” on handling abuse cases involving Bishops.

He said that plan includes “more detailed proposals” to “seek out these answers, make reporting of abuse and misconduct by Bishops easier, and improve procedures for resolving complaints against Bishops.” 

The Cardinal had been pursuing a meeting with the Pope ahead of publication of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s testimony, with the intent of discussing the USCCB’s proposed plan.

From February 21 - 24 next year, Pope Francis plans to consult with Presidents of every Bishops Conference to discuss preventing clergy sex abuse and protecting children, his advisers revealed Wednesday.

The February meeting at the Vatican is believed to be the first of its kind and signals a realization at the highest levels of the church that clergy sex abuse is a global problem, as many church leaders have long tried to insist.

The meeting was called after the Pope heard the Council of Cardinals.

Both the meeting with Cardinal DiNardo and the upcoming February meeting come on the heels of a series of revelations about the history of sexual abuse in the church, including a 900 page report from a grand jury in Pennsylvania that exposed that over 300 priests had sexually abused children since 1947 as well as the shocking allegations by Archbishop Vigano.

At first sight, these meetings appear to be a PR cover for the fact that the Holy See has yet to directly respond to the allegations of Archbishop Vigano.

Until responses to those accusations are direct, candid and forthcoming, there is no reason to have confidence that these high-profile, highly publicized meetings with Cardinal DiNardo or with the Presidents of the worlds Episcopal Conferences will be honest, meaningful or effective.

The Pope himself needs to get before the microphone and refute any and all the charges Archbishop Vigano has leveled against himself personally and against the individuals named in the Archbishop’s letter.

Until that happens, all the rest the Holy See or any Bishop’s Conference or all of them promise to do is just fluff.

My opinion at least.  What thinkest you?