Vos Estis Online Conference

St Mary’s Seminary and the Archdiocese of Baltimore have collaborated in presenting an online conference on the details of Vos estis.

In May, 2019 Pope Francis published a decree titled Vos estis lux mundi—“You are the light of the world.” This Apostolic Letter enlarges the scope of criminal sexual abuse and requires responsible investigations of accusations of abuse: (a) it reaches beyond clergy (bishops, priests, deacons) to include members of religious communities who are not clergy; (b) it extends criminal behavior beyond unwanted touch and includes the production of or possession of child pornography; (c) it goes beyond considering only the abuse of minors and includes the abuse of “vulnerable adults”; (d) it makes it clear that bishops and religious superiors who are accused of sexual crimes are bound to the same legal liability as are priests and deacons; (e) it demands transparency by bishops and religious superiors in handling accusations of sexual abuse; and (f) it stipulates a process to investigate accusations that bishops have been engaged in covering up sexual misconduct.

The centerpiece-presenter at the conference is Archbishop Charles Scicluna, who has become the papal point-man in investigating accusations against bishops and even founders of religious communities, and who is a key member of the Holy See’s task force on sexual abuse. In addition to Archbishop Scicluna, presenters include Archbishop Lori, Bishop Mark Bartchak of Altoona-Johnstown, Sister Sharon Euart, executive director of the Resource Center for Religious Institutes, and Siobhan Verbeek, director of canonical services for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Register here: https://www.stmarys.edu/the-center-for-continuing-formation/clergy-programs/the-bishops-toolbox/