“Even sinners can vote for the Pope”

Interview with Bishop Scicluna, Prosecutor in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

It is their right to take part in the Conclave. God will fill their mouths with words that come from a humiliated and wounded heart.” The papacy that has done the most to combat the scandal of sex-abuse in the Church, adopting Joseph Ratzinger’s “zero tolerance” rule, will give those cardinals tainted by cover-up accusations the “green light” for participation in the Conclave. “Knowledge is not only given to saints but to sinners too,” Maltese bishop, Charles Scicluna, (who has been prosecutor of the in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith tribunal for ten years) explained.

I sit right for the four cardinals who have been dragged into the paedophilia scandal to vote for the next Pope?
“We are all sinners; God will make their presence in the Conclave work for the good of the Church. We should avoid pointing the finger. Even the members of the first college of apostles did not all deserve to be canonised; there are treasures to be found in clay vessels. Human fragility becomes a spectacle for the world. We cannot hand out permits. Who is worthy? In the liturgy we constantly proclaim our unworthiness. Every day in the Church we bear fitness to a holiness we would like to take part in. The curtain of silence that often covered abuse cases has finally been removed. The only guiding principle that can remedy the moral downfall of the clergy is the fact that truth sets humans free.”

Why did these cardinals keep silent about paedophile priests?
“For fear of a scandal breaking out. What they didn’t realise was that they needed to look at the abuse from the exact opposite angle. The real scandal was not reporting the abuse. Perceptions changed: silence became a scandal. We have Ratzinger to thank for this. So we should let them take part in the Conclave. As Psalm 51, the Miserere, says: “Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offense. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. My offenses truly I know them.” Their right to participate is linked to the need to show respect for their conscience, whilst their duty to be there involves them taking on their responsibilities. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

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Cathcon- should they really have a hand in determining the next Pope- all liberals of varying shades, almost needless to say.

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