VATICAN CITY
USA TODAY
February 19, 2019
By John Bacon
A crucial summit on clergy sexual abuse, which opens Thursday at the Vatican, will draw church leaders from around the world in an effort to break a “code of silence” that allowed the misconduct to take place over decades.
Presidents of more than 100 bishop conferences will be joined by high-ranking Vatican officials – and Pope Francis himself. The summit will focus on making bishops aware of their responsibilities, accountability and transparency, the Vatican said.
Archbishop Charles Scicluna, a member of the organizing committee, described the summit as a major step in the pope’s efforts to end the code of silence. The Rev. James Bretzke, a theology professor at Marquette University, said the pope demands a change in “clerical culture.”
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