The number two of the Vatican judges that “one should not be afraid of the truth”, in an interview published Sunday in the daily The cross, on the next conclusions of a French independent commission on sexual violence in the Church.
“It will probably be a great moment of suffering. But we should not be afraid of the truth, ”commented Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis’ right-hand man.
“To understand what really happened”
The “Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (Ciase) since the 1950s ”must publish its recommendations in September in France. The cardinal specifies that it is the Vatican which asked for the constitution of this commission, “to understand what really happened”.
“We are sad, and I know that a lot of Catholics are going to be very saddened and scandalized by what they are going to read. But we have to go through this ordeal. From there can come a new conscience to fight against these phenomena and to prevent the repetition of these acts ”, added the Secretary of State of the Holy See.
The date of the Pope’s next trip to France still unclear
On an upcoming trip by the pope to France, the likelihood of which could fade away as the presidential and legislative elections in this country approach, in the spring of 2022, the cardinal remained elusive.
” I do not know. There is a project. The Pope has already expressed his interest in Emmanuel Macron. But I am not able to give a date. I hope this can be done as soon as possible, because France deserves a visit from the Holy Father, ”he told the newspaper.
At the diplomatic level, if France and the Holy See share “common concerns, such as ecology”, the Italian cardinal also pointed out “some differences, such as the question of disarmament or nuclear power”.
Asked about the still thorny question for the Vatican of “French secularism”, the cardinal warned against marginalizing the religious dimension in social life, judging that “it is not good”.