Charles Scicluna

Last updated

His Grace, The Most Reverend [1]

Charles J. Scicluna
Archbishop of Malta
Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Church Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese Malta
See Malta
Appointed27 February 2015
Installed21 March 2015
Predecessor Paul Cremona
Other post(s)Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (2018-)
Orders
Ordination11 July 1986
by  Joseph Mercieca
Consecration24 November 2012
by  Paul Cremona
RankMetropolitan Archbishop
Personal details
Born (1959-05-15) 15 May 1959 (age 65)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Nationality Maltese
Denomination Roman Catholic
ParentsEmanuel Scicluna
Maria Carmela Falzon
Previous post(s)Promoter of Justice, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Auxiliary Bishop of Malta (2012–2015)
Alma mater Pontifical Gregorian University
MottoFidelis et Verax (Faithful and True)
Coat of arms Coat of arms of Charles Jude Scicluna.svg

Charles Jude Scicluna (born 15 May 1959) is a Canadian-Maltese prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as Archbishop of Malta since 2015. Both as a curial official and since becoming a bishop, he has conducted investigations into sexual abuse by clergy on behalf of the Holy See and led a board that reviews such cases. He has been called "the Vatican's most respected sex crimes expert". [2]

Contents

He held positions in the Roman Curia from 1995 to 2012, when he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Malta. Since November 2018, Scicluna has been an Adjunct Secretary of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the curial body responsible for dealing with clerical sexual abuse cases on minors around the world.

Education and priesthood

Scicluna was born to Maltese parents in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on 15 May 1959. His family moved to Qormi in Malta when he was 11 months old. In Malta, he attended St. Edward's College. After secondary school, he studied at the Major Seminary there. He went to the University of Malta in 1976 and obtained a Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree in civil law there in 1984. After completing his seminary studies and earning a Licentiate of Sacred Theology (STL) in pastoral theology at the Faculty of Theology in the Seminary at Tal-Virtù, he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Malta by Archbishop Joseph Mercieca on 11 July 1986. In 1991 he also obtained a Doctorate of Canon Law (JCD) at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. [3] [lower-alpha 1] His thesis supervisor was Father Raymond Leo Burke and he presented it to Professor Father Urbano Navarrete Cortés, SJ; both later became cardinals. Scicluna later said: "They wanted me to stay in Rome, in the Apostolic Signatura, but the archbishop called me back to Malta." [5]

Between 1990 and 1995, he was defender of the bond and promoter of justice at Metropolitan Court of Malta, Professor of Pastoral Theology and Canon Law at the Faculty of Theology and Vice-Rector of the Major Seminary of the Archdiocese. His pastoral activities included service at the parishes of St. Gregory the Great in Sliema and Transfiguration in Iklin. He served as chaplain to the local Convent of St. Catherine. [3]

Curial service

In 1995 he began his 17-year Holy See career, first as Deputy Promoter of Justice at the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura and then beginning in 2002 as Promoter of Justice in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith [6] under Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. He also taught as Invited Professor at the Faculty of Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University. [3] Between 1996 and 2007, he promoted the cause of the canonization of Saint George Preca. [7]

As Promoter of Justice, he was credited with constructing the 2010 universal norms that extended the Church's statutes of limitations on reporting cases of sexual abuse and expanded the category of ecclesial crimes to include sexual misconduct with a disabled adult and possession of child pornography. [8] He provided a brief history of the activities of the CDF with respect to abuse cases in a June 2010 interview. [9]

In 2005, Ratzinger tasked Scicluna with collecting testimony about the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, Rev. Marcial Maciel, amid allegations of abuse. [10]

At a prayer service for priests in St Peter's Basilica in May 2010, Scicluna addressed the clerical vocation and said: [11]

The child becomes the model for the disciple who wants to be "great" in the kingdom of heaven.... How many are the sins in the church for arrogance, for insatiable ambition, the tyranny and injustice of those who take advantage of ministry to advance their careers, to show off, for reasons of futile and miserable reasons of vanity! ... Accepting the kingdom of God like a child is to accept with a pure heart, with docility, abandonment, confidence, enthusiasm, and hope. All this reminds us of the child. All this makes the child precious in God's eyes, and in the eyes of a true disciple of Jesus.

He went on to quote the gospels on the corruption of the young–"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea" (Mark 9:42)–and then quoted Gregory the Great's exegesis of that verse's meaning for priests: [11]

Mystically expressed in the millstone is the hard and tedious rhythm of secular life, while the deep sea signifies the most terrible curse. Thus, after having taken a profession of holiness, anyone who destroys others through words or deed would have been better off if their misdeeds had caused them to die in secular dress, rather than, through their holy office, being imposed as an example for others in their sins. Without a doubt, if they had fallen all by themselves, their suffering in Hell would be easier to bear.

Addressing a conference on sexual abuse held in February 2012 at the Pontifical Gregorian University, he explained that the CDF needed the support of the entire church hierarchy for its procedures to have their intended impact: "No strategy for the prevention of child abuse will ever work without commitment and accountability." He said that "the deliberate denial of known facts, and the misplaced concern that the good name of the institution should somehow enjoy absolute priority" were "enemies of truth" and reflected "a deadly culture of silence" which he characterized as a form of omertà, the word used to describe the Mafia's code of silence to protect criminal conspiracies in the face of civil and criminal authority. He described the pastoral needs of those abused, "the radical need of the victim to be heard attentively, to be understood and believed, to be treated with dignity as he or she plods on the tiresome journey of recovery and healing", and highlighted the special care needed by those who find themselves unable to recover, "who seem to have identified 'self' simply with 'having been victims'". [12] [13] He told reporters that bishops needed to adhere to church law and CDF's standards: "It is a crime in canon law to show malicious or fraudulent negligence in the exercise of one's duty. I'm not saying that we should start punishing everybody for any negligence in his duties. But what I want to say is that this is not acceptable. It is not acceptable that when there are set standards, people do not follow the set standards." [14]

Styles of
Charles Scicluna
Coat of arms of Charles Jude Scicluna.svg
Reference style The Most Reverend
His Excellency
His Grace
Spoken style Your Excellency
Your Grace
Religious style Archbishop

Auxiliary Bishop

On 6 October 2012, Pope Benedict XVI named Scicluna Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Malta and Titular Bishop of San Leone. [15] The Holy See announcement described him as "highly respected among his peers around the world for his lecturing skills and his expertise in child protection issues". [7] In an interview on the eve of his departure from Rome, Scicluna said the move was a promotion and not a manifestation of departmental rivalries within the Holy See. He said it did not indicate any alteration in policy with respect to the handling of sex abuse cases, which would continue to maintain the aggressive stance he had adopted: "This is policy. It's not Scicluna. It's the pope. And this will remain." He said he would continue to address the issue as bishop: "If you want to silence someone, you don't make him a bishop." [16]

He was consecrated bishop on 24 November 2012 by Archbishop Paul Cremona. [7] The co-consecrators were Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Mercieca and Bishop Mario Grech of Gozo.[ citation needed ] In his Christmas sermon the next year, Scicluna discussed the need for "strong families", later telling an interviewer that when had told the pope he was worried about the legalization of same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples in Malta the pope encouraged him to speak out. [17]

Appointments

On 1 December 2012 Pope Benedict XVI appointed Scicluna to a renewable five-year term as a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. [18] [lower-alpha 2]

In April 2014 Scicluna was appointed by the Holy See to take the testimony of clergy alleging sexual misconduct in the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh. [20]

In January 2015 he was appointed to preside over the new doctrinal team dealing with appeals filed by clergy accused of abuse within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). [21] [lower-alpha 3] On 13 November 2018 Francis gave him in addition the post of Adjunct Secretary of the CDF. [23]

Archbishop of Malta

Upon the resignation of Archbishop Paul Cremona, Scicluna was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the archdiocese on 18 October 2014. On 27 February 2015 Pope Francis appointed Scicluna Metropolitan Archbishop of Malta. [24] [25] He was installed on 21 March 2015 in St Paul's Cathedral in Mdina. [26]

Since his installation, he has been president of the Maltese Episcopal Conference. [27]

On 30 January 2018, after Pope Francis was sharply criticized for controversial comments about the clergy sex abuse scandal in Chile, he sent Scicluna to conduct an investigation and take statements from victims who charged that Msg. Juan Barros, whom Francis named Bishop of Osorno in 2015, had personal knowledge of their abuse years earlier. [2] On 8 April, in a letter to the bishops of Chile, Francis said that Scicluna's 2,300-page report prompted him to apologize for misrepresenting the evidence of clerical sexual abuse in Chile and to summon the bishops of Chile to Rome for consultation in May. [28] On 11 June 2018 Francis accepted the resignation of Barros, along with the resignation of two other bishops in Chile. [29]

Views

Sexuality

During the Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church, Italian journalist Sandro Magister asked Scicluna why the term “homosexuality” was absent from the opening day presentations of the summit. Scicluna replied, “These are human conditions [heterosexuality and homosexuality] that we recognize, that exist. But they aren’t something that really predisposes to sin." [30]

Clerical celibacy

In January 2024, Scicluna supported married priests in Roman Catholic church. [31] [32]

Honours

Notes

  1. ↑ His thesis was published in 1995 as The essential definition of marriage according to the 1917 and 1983 codes of canon law: an exegetical and comparative study. [4]
  2. ↑ This appointment lapsed with the end of Benedict's papacy and it was later confirmed by Pope Francis. [19]
  3. ↑ Pope Francis had established the new board of review on 3 November 2014 to speed up the process of hearing and ruling on appeals filed by priests laicized or otherwise disciplined in sexual abuse or other serious cases. Members of the doctrinal congregation had been examining an average of four or five appeals, mostly in sex abuse cases, at each of their monthly meetings; the substantial number of appeals and the need to examine them more promptly led to the creation of the board to judge cases involving priests. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Church sexual abuse cases</span>

There have been many cases of sexual abuse of children by priests, nuns, and other members of religious life in the Catholic Church. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the cases have involved many allegations, investigations, trials, convictions, acknowledgement and apologies by Church authorities, and revelations about decades of instances of abuse and attempts by Church officials to cover them up. The abused include mostly boys but also girls, some as young as three years old, with the majority between the ages of 11 and 14. Criminal cases for the most part do not cover sexual harassment of adults. The accusations of abuse and cover-ups began to receive public attention during the late 1980s. Many of these cases allege decades of abuse, frequently made by adults or older youths years after the abuse occurred. Cases have also been brought against members of the Catholic hierarchy who covered up sex abuse allegations and moved abusive priests to other parishes, where abuse continued.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angelo Sodano</span> Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (1927–2022)

Angelo Raffaele Sodano, GCC was an Italian Catholic prelate and from 1991 onward a cardinal. He was the Dean of the College of Cardinals from 2005 to 2019 and Cardinal Secretary of State from 1991 to 2006; Sodano was the first person since 1828 to serve simultaneously as Dean and Secretary of State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa</span> Catholic cardinal

Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa is a Chilean prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Santiago from 1998 to 2010. He has been a cardinal since 2001 and was a member of Pope Francis' Council of Cardinal Advisers from its creation in 2013 until his departure in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippe Barbarin</span> French Roman Catholic prelate

Philippe Xavier Christian Ignace Marie Barbarin is a French Roman Catholic prelate who was the Archbishop of Lyon from 2002 to 2020. He was made a cardinal in 2003. He was charged in 2017 and convicted in 2019 of failing to report sex abuse allegedly committed by a priest and was given a suspended six-month prison sentence. On 24 June 2019, Barbarin lost his status as leader of the Archdiocese of Lyon, though he retained the title of Archbishop. His conviction was overturned on appeal on 30 January 2020, but Pope Francis accepted Barbarin's resignation as Archbishop of Lyon on 6 March 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Pierre Ricard</span> French prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1944)

Jean-Pierre Ricard is a French prelate of the Catholic Church who was Archbishop of Bordeaux from 2001 to 2019. He has been a cardinal since 2006. He was previously Bishop of Montpellier for five years and before that an auxiliary bishop in Grenoble. From 2001 to 2007 he was president of the French Episcopal Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Sablan Apuron</span> Former Catholic archbishop

Anthony Sablan Apuron is a Guamanian American former prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Agaña from 1983 until 2016, when the Holy See removed him for child sexual abuse crimes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonard Paul Blair</span> Catholic archbishop

Leonard Paul Blair is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, who served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Hartford in Connecticut from December 2013 to May 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silvano Maria Tomasi</span> Italian cardinal

Silvano Maria Tomasi C.S. is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as the Special Delegate to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta since 1 November 2020. He was the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva from 2003 to 2016. He previously worked in the Roman Curia, became an archbishop in 1996, and represented the Holy See as an apostolic nuncio in Africa from 1996 to 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo</span> Catholic Cardinal

Ignatius Cardinal Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo is an Indonesian prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been Archbishop of Jakarta since 2010, after serving as Archbishop of Semarang from 1997 to 2009. He is commonly known as Archbishop Suharyo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricardo Ezzati</span> Archbishop and cardinal

Ricardo Ezzati Andrello is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who has lived and worked in Chile since the age of 17. He was Archbishop of Santiago from December 2010 to March 2019 and has been a cardinal since February 2014. He previously served as Archbishop of Concepción. He headed the Episcopal Conference of Chile from 2010 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savio Hon</span> Roman Catholic archbishop

Savio Hon Tai-fai SDB is a Hong Konger Catholic archbishop who works in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He served as secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples from 2010 to 2017. Before that he was professor of theology at the Holy Spirit Seminary of Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Fernández Torres</span> Puerto Rican Catholic prelate

Daniel Fernández Torres is a Puerto Rican Catholic prelate who served as bishop of the Diocese of Arecibo in Puerto Rico from 2010 to 2022. He spent the years 2007 to 2010 as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Juan in Puerto Rico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael J. Byrnes</span> American Roman Catholic bishop

Michael Jude Byrnes is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Agaña from 2019 to 2023. He was an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Detroit from 2011 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mario Grech</span> Maltese Catholic cardinal (born 1957)

Mario Grech is a Maltese prelate of the Catholic Church who was Bishop of Gozo from 2005 to 2019. He was Pro-Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops from October 2019 until he became Secretary General in September 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Víctor Manuel Fernández</span> Argentine Catholic prelate and theologian

Víctor Manuel Fernández is an Argentine prelate of the Catholic Church and a theologian. He is currently the head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michel Aupetit</span> French prelate of the Catholic Church

Michel Aupetit is a French prelate of the Catholic Church who was Archbishop of Paris from 2018 to 2021, when he resigned following reports of a relationship with a woman in 2012.

Juan de la Cruz Barros Madrid is a Chilean prelate of the Catholic Church. He was Bishop of Osorno from 2015 to 2018. He was Auxiliary Bishop of Valparaíso from 1995 to 2000, Bishop of Iquique from 2000 to 2004, and Military Ordinary of Chile from 2004 to 2015.

The sexual abuse of minors by clergy of the Catholic Church in Chile and the failure of Church officials to respond and take responsibility attracted worldwide attention as a critical failure of Pope Francis and the Church as a whole to address the sexual abuse of minors by priests. Among a number of cases, that of Father Fernando Karadima, which became public in 2010, raised questions about the responsibility and complicity of several Chilean bishops, including some of the country's highest-ranking Catholic prelates.

Marco Antonio Órdenes Fernández is a native of Chile and a former prelate of the Catholic Church. He was Bishop of Iquique from 2006 to 2012. When appointed at the age of 42, he was the youngest bishop in the history of Chile. Accusations that he had sexually abused minors forced his resignation in 2012. Civil procedures concluded when prosecutors could not establish a case against him, but church proceedings ended with his removal from the clerical state in 2018.

Abel Gabuza was a South African Catholic prelate who served as Coadjutor Archbishop of Durban from 9 December 2018 and until his death in 2021. He was Bishop of Kimberley from 2010 to 2018.

References

  1. ↑ "New Archbishop of Malta - Mgr Charles J. Scicluna". Archdiocese of Malta. 27 February 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 Winfield, Nicole (30 January 2018). "Pope sends sex crimes expert to Chile to investigate bishop". Washington Post. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "Monsignor Charles Jude Scicluna, Archbishop of Malta". Archdiocese of Malta. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  4. ↑ The essential definition of marriage according to the 1917 and 1983 codes of canon law: an exegetical and comparative study in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
  5. ↑ Tornielli, Andrea (5 October 2012). "Mgr. Scicluna leaves the Vatican". La Stampa. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  6. ↑ "Rinunce e Nomine, 21.10.2002" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 21 October 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 "Mgr Scicluna looking forward to assisting Archbishop, listen to the people". Times of Malta. 6 October 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  8. ↑ Scicluna, Charles J. (10 June 2010). "The Procedure and Praxis of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith regarding Graviora Delicta". Holy See. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  9. ↑ "Interview of Msgr. Charles Scicluna conducted by Gianni Cardinale on the Strictness of the Church in Cases of Paedophilia". Holy See. 10 June 2010. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  10. ↑ Thavis, John (2013). Vatican Diaries: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Power, Personalities and Politics at the Heart of the Catholic Church. NY: Penguin Group., ch. 5: Cat and Mouse
  11. 1 2 "Msgr. Scicluna's Address at Prayer Service for Priests". Zenit. 30 May 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  12. ↑ Allen, John L. Jr. (8 February 2012). "Vatican abuse summit: Prosecutor decries 'deadly culture of silence'". National Catholic Reporter. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  13. ↑ Pullella, Philip (8 February 2012). "Sexual abuse silence "deadly" for Church: Vatican official". Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 March 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  14. ↑ "Vatican Prosecutor Denounces 'Deadly Culture of Silence'". 7 February 2012.
  15. ↑ "Rinunce e Nomine, 06.10.2012" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 6 October 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  16. ↑ Winfield, Nicole (18 November 2012). "AP Interview: Vatican Sex Crimes Prosecutor on Sin". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 27 December 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  17. ↑ "Pope encouraged Malta bishop to speak out against gay adoption bill". Catholic News Agency. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  18. ↑ "Rinunce e Nomine, 01.12.2012" (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 1 December 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  19. ↑ "Rinunce e Nomine, 21.09.2013" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 21 September 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  20. ↑ "Vatican appoints Bishop Scicluna to take testimony of Scottish clergy alleging sexual misconduct". Times of Malta. 4 April 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  21. ↑ "Rinune e Nomine, 21.01.2015" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 21 January 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  22. ↑ "Pope names former top prosecutor to head board for clergy abuse appeals". Catholic News Service. 21 January 2015. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  23. ↑ "Rinunce e Nomine, 13.11.2018" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 13 November 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  24. ↑ "Rinunce e Nomine, 27.02.2015" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 27 February 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  25. ↑ "Mgr Charles Scicluna to be Malta's next Archbishop". The Times of Malta. 25 February 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  26. ↑ Bonnici, Therese (21 March 2015). "Mgr Charles Scicluna installed as new archbishop; 'will protect flock from the wolves'". The Malta Independent . Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  27. ↑ Archdiocese of Malta website, Maltese Episcopal Conference, retrieved 2024-08-08
  28. ↑ Horowitz, Jason (11 April 2018). "Pope Francis Admits 'Grave Errors' in Chile Sex Abuse Cases". The New York Times . Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  29. ↑ Horowitz, Jason (11 June 2018). "Pope Accepts Resignation of Chilean Bishop Tied to Abuse Scandal". The New York Times . Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  30. ↑ Bartels, Deacon Frederick (27 February 2019). "Archbishop Scicluna: Homosexual Verses Heterosexual". Joy In Truth. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  31. ↑ Welt.de: Erzbischof von Malta, Papstberater plädiert für Ende des Zölibats, January 2024
  32. ↑ Consider revising celibacy rule for Catholic priests, Vatican official says
  33. 1 2 "The Head of the House of Romanov visits the Republic of Malta, 13-17 June 2017". imperialhouse.ru. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  34. ↑ http://www.imperialhouse.ru/images/2017-malta-full/image-12.jpg [ bare URL image file ]
Preceded by Archbishop of Malta
2015–present		Incumbent
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.