For the pontiff, “even today, we note that the first reaction of many families is to cover up everything. It is always there, in other institutions, even in the Church. We must fight this old habit of covering up.”
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis met today with a delegation from the Meter Association, which has fought child abuse since 1989 in Italy and other countries.
In his address, the pontiff stressed that protecting children from sexual exploitation “is the duty of all governments”. For him, “speaking out and prevention are necessary in every venue of society: school, sports, leisure, culture, religious communities, individuals”.
Francis praised the work of the association, which was founded by Fr Fortunato Di Noto. It is “as necessary as ever because, unfortunately, abuse against children continues. I am thinking in particular about the luring activities taking place on the Internet and various social media, with pages and portals dedicated to child pornography.
“On the one hand, this is a scourge” that “must be tackled with renewed determination by government institutions; on the other, it needs even greater awareness on the part of families and various educational agencies.”
Digressing from his prepared speech, the pontiff explained that, “even today, we note that the first reaction of many families is to cover up everything. It is always there, in other institutions, even in the Church. We must fight this old habit of covering up.”
Bluntly, Francis said that “child abuse is a kind of 'psychological murder' and in so many cases, it wipes out childhood”. Hence, in addition to fighting exploitation and reporting abuses, “specific measures must be put in place to provide effective aid to victims.” For this reason, he praised the work of the Meter Association, which shows “the Church's love for the defenceless little ones.”
“How many times, like the Good Samaritan in the Gospel, have you reached out [to children] with respect and compassion, to welcome, console, and protect [them]! How many spiritual wounds have you healed! For all this, the Church community is grateful to you. We can compare your Association to a home.
“When we say 'home' we think of a place of welcome, shelter, safekeeping. The word home has a typically familial flavour, which evokes the warmth, affection and tenderness that can be experienced precisely in a family, especially at a time of anguish and pain. You have been and are a 'home' to so many children violated in their innocence or enslaved by the selfishness of adults.”