Vatican's Sex Abuse Prosecutor to Be Appointed Auxiliary Bishop

By John Cordina
Malta Independent
October 6, 2012

http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=151635

The man in charge of handling complaints of sexual abuse by Catholic Church personnel, Mgr Charles Scicluna, is to be made an auxiliary bishop in the archdiocese of Malta.

Mgr Scicluna has been the Promoter of Justice at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith – the present-day successor of the Holy Inquisition – since 2001.

In this role, he is effectively the chief prosecutor in the most serious cases concerning priests, including sexual abuse by minors, and has become known for his zero-tolerance policy towards such acts.

But that term is set to end shortly, as La Stampa's Vatican Insider blog reports that Mgr Scicluna's nomination as auxiliary bishop is expected to be announced today. The blog also notes that while a promotion for the Maltese cleric was not unexpected; his transfer away from the Vatican came as a surprise.

Mgr Scicluna was born in 1959 in Toronto, the child of Maltese emigrants who eventually returned to Malta. He was studying law at university before deciding to join the priesthood.

He was ordained in 1986, and moved to Rome to continue his studies. Although his superiors felt he should remain, he was recalled to Malta, where his duties included lecturing at university.

But he returned to Rome in 1995, becoming the substitute promoter of justice of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the Catholic Church's top judicial authority.

In this role, he became a close collaborator of the head of the CDF – Joseph Ratzinger, who has since become Pope Benedict XVI – a collaboration which continued when be assumed his present role.

The CDF started dealing with sexual abuse committed by priests more aggressively since he took office, which has dealt with thousands of sex abuse allegations over the past decade.