May 26, 2019 - "Motu Proprio Published by Pope Francis"

On May 9, 2019 Pope Francis published a Motu Proprio entitled Vos estis lux mundi.  A Motu Proprio, in Catholic Canon law, refers to a document issued by the pope on his own initiative and personally signed by him.  Vos estis lux mundi can be translated into English as “You are the Light of the World.”  This document is the result of ongoing collaboration among various Church entities over the past decade, the February 2019 global summit on abuse, and perhaps more importantly, listening to survivors of abuse.  Various offices of the Archdiocese put together some questions and answers for pastors to share with parishioners about the Motu Proprio.  I presented two of those questions last week.  Here are the remaining seven questions. 
 
*One of the questions refer to the role of the Metropolitan.  A Metropolitan is an Archbishop holding authority over the other bishops of the province.  A good example of this would the State of Pennsylvania where there is the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as well as the Dioceses of Pittsburgh. Erie, Greensburg, Altoona-Johnstown, Harrisburg, Allentown, and Scranton.  If there would be trouble with the Bishop of Greensburg, Archbishop Chaput, as the Metropolitan, would be the one designated to handle it.
 
3. When do these norms take effect?
• They will take effect on June 1, 2019;
• They will be reviewed by the Holy See after three years and adjusted as needed;
• Every diocese and eparchy (either individually or collectively) is to have a publicly accessible means for people to report cases covered under the Motu Proprio by June 1, 2020.
• In the United States, while this has already been accomplished for cases involving the sexual abuse of minors by priests and deacons, reporting mechanisms will have to be modified to serve the broader categories of the Motu Proprio.
*The Archdiocese of Washington has already implemented two ways to report abuse:
a. Online on the ADW website
b. Through the Office of Child Protection and Safe Environment, available 24 hours a day by phone and email and EthicsPoint, an independent, third-party service.
 
4. What about cases of sexual misconduct that do not fall under this Motu Proprio?
• These are generally already covered by existing diocesan or eparchial codes of conduct. With the help of lay and legal experts, bishops are working on ways to ensure that coverage and enhance awareness and reporting mechanisms for such cases.
*The Archdiocese of Washington has a code of conduct that deals with sexual misconduct that is not covered by the child protection policy.

5.           How are transparency and confidentiality promoted in this new Motu Proprio?
• The Motu Proprio increases transparency by establishing clear procedures that must be followed, reaffirming the obligation to report to civil authorities, providing for lay involvement in internal investigations, protecting from possible conflicts of interest, and ensuring that those who report complaints to the Church are also free to report the same information to others and are protected from retaliation. At the same time, because the Motu Proprio involves the investigation of a complaint, it carefully balances the rights of those involved. Confidentiality is needed for the effectiveness of the investigation. It protects victims and witnesses, as well as the presumption of innocence and the seal of the confessional.
 
6. Does this new Motu Proprio interfere or hinder civil law, such as mandatory reporting requirements and civil investigations?
• In no way. The Motu Proprio establishes the canonical (Church law) procedures that are to be followed. Included in these procedures, however, is the obligation to comply with all applicable civil laws.
 
7. Zero tolerance is not mentioned. Is that no longer the policy of the Catholic Church?
• In the United States, zero tolerance has been the policy since 2002, which comes from the Charter and the Essential Norms. The Motu Proprio does not undo this policy. Other Episcopal conferences around the world have or will be developing policies appropriate to their legal and cultural situations. The good news here is that what was first thought of as an “American problem” or a “Western problem” is now on everyone’s radar.
 
8. Why does the Motu Proprio focus on the role of the Metropolitan?
• The Motu Proprio uses the Metropolitan because it is a position in the Church that is grounded in tradition and the teaching of Vatican II and is governed by existing canon law.
• This also allows investigations to be carried out on the local level, where the Metropolitan will have more direct access to information, documents, and lay experts to help investigate, and can collaborate with civil authorities. The Metropolitan, being local, can also take measures to preserve and secure evidence.
• Recent investigations of misconduct by a bishop have successfully followed this practice.
 
9. What does this mean for the proposals the U.S. bishops considered last November?
• The work of our committees that has already taken place will be examined and adapted to work within the framework of the new Motu Proprio and will be the basis for deliberation over its implementation at the USCCB Plenary Assembly in June.
 
Until next week,
Fr. John