The Washington Post’s eulogy to Archbishop Charles Scicluna
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The Washington Post, one of the United States leading and most respected newspaper, published what could be best described as a far reaching eulogy for Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna.
In an article by Chico Harlan, the Rome Bureau Chief of the The Washington Post “When the Vatican faces a major sex-abuse scandal, he’s the man the pope sends in” writes how within a church besieged by clerical abuse cases, Scicluna, 59, has become the Vatican’s emergency investigator — a priest-and-lawyer-turned-sex-crimes specialist who is dispatched to scandal zones.”
Whilst describing the recent scandals that have afflicted the Catholic Church, Harlan speaks to Scicluna about his role and what it entails.
He describes Scicluna as “one of the rare Vatican officials who appreciates the seriousness and scale of the church’s abuse crisis” and earning praise also from victims who say Scicluna presents himself as a listener and fact-finder, sensitive but also meticulous in pinning down dates and specifics.
The Washington Post states that Scicluna is the person the Vatican sends to places where cardinals or bishops are accused of committing abuse; where officials are suspected of burying evidence or systematically ignoring victims; where the church has profoundly failed and squandered trust.
Harlan quotes the Maltese Archbishop as saying that nothing prepares you for the wounds and one doesn’t get used to it.
For most of that time, he has operated out of public view, refusing to speak about cases, returning to Rome from his missions with dossiers meant for the eyes of the pope. But recently, with the church facing outside pressure to reform, Scicluna was vaulted by Francis into a broad and public role.
The archbishop helped to plan a major anti-abuse summit in February and has worked on subsequent reforms. He also regularly appears at news conferences to explain Vatican thinking.
Harlan states that as the Roman Catholic Church attempts to prove that it can credibly police itself, it is presenting Scicluna as an example of how rigorous and caring it can be. He adds that Scicluna has carried out special investigations on behalf of both Francis and his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, and he considers his missions a “service” for the pontiff.
