Folia Theologica et Canonica 11. 33/25 (2022)
Ius canonicum
134 GORAN JOVICIC ing a Vatican investigation, he was banned from exercising his priestly ministry publicly in 2006.36 Despite having issued significant measures to address the abuse crisis in the Church and laicizing several hundred priests, Pope Benedict XVI was aware of the abuse’s huge impact on victims’ lives, the victims’ struggles to heal their wounds and the Church’s need to repair its reputation because of the scandals and prevent further abuse. He was the first pope to meet the victims of abuse. Pope Benedict XVI went on to say: Once again I can only express to all the victims of sexual abuse my profound shame, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt request for forgiveness,” he said. Furthermore, reflecting upon the huge impact of abuse on the Church, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said: “Each individual case of sexual abuse is appalling and irreparable,” and “I have had great responsibilities in the Catholic Church”. All the greater is my pain for the abuses and the errors that occurred in those different places during the time of my mandate.37 Pope Francis continued to expand the measures for the prevention of abuse, making two very important steps: establishing the Pontifical Commission for Protection of Minors (2014), and making the bishops accountable by Vos estis lux mundi (“You are the light of the world”), which was issued by the pope following the Vatican’s abuse summit in 2019 after the Theodore McCarrick scandal became public. The new norms of the motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi presented a canonical plan to address the investigation of bishops accused of sexual abuse or coercion, or of interfering in the investigation of such conduct.38 Pope Francis said to the Reuters News Agency: “The Church started zero tolerance slowly and moved forward. And I think the direction taken on this is irreversible.”39 II. The Penitential Discipline and Secrecy of Confession in the Early Church While we must admit that the sacrament of penance underwent significant changes regarding the form of penance and that public penance was indeed an 36 Cf. https://catholicreview.org/former-doctrinal-enforcer-used-pontificate-to-crack-down-onsex-abuse/ (consulted: 1/23/2023). 37 https://catholicreview.org/former-doctrinal-enforcer-used-pontificate-to-crack-down-on-sexabuse/ (consulted: 1/23/2023). 38 Pope Francis says measures against the sexual abuse in the Church are irreversible, in CBCP News (July 10, 2022): https://cbcpnews.net/cbcpnews/pope-ffancis-says-measures-againstsexual-abuse-in-the-church-are-irreversible/ (consulted: 1/29/2023). 39 Ibid.
