This week the daily edition of the Vatican Newspaper L’Osservatore Romano contained two articles detailing new publications authored by CCP team members. The first of these launched the third monograph in Civiltà Cattolica’s new series “Accenti” and explained the journal’s editorial decision to gather essays by Hans Zollner and Giovanni Cucci that have been written for Civiltà Cattolica over the past 16 years into one book. The volume evidences important changes and developments that have been made in understanding the phenomena of the abuse of minors. Informed of the advent of the new publication, Zollner explained that today we would be more attentive to the use of the word "pedophilia" because, strictly speaking, it refers to abuse of prepubescent children and is often used without precision.

 

The second article in L’Osservatore Romano, authored by CCP doctoral student Angela Rinaldi, presents a summary of the research project brought to fruition in her book “Dalla parte dei piccoli” (“On the Side of the Little Ones”). She explains her motivation to examine common elements in the scandals that shook the Church in the United States, Mexico, Ireland, Germany, and Australia . Rinaldi observes that the silence of ecclesiastical institutions took a heavy toll  on the lives of the victims and points to the need for prevention procedures and training. Her book becomes an accessible approach to understanding the developments in canon law and the various documents of the magisterium which have come forth as a result of the crisis.

 

Both Civiltà Cattolica’s third volume of Accenti and Angela Rinaldi’s Dalla parte dei piccoli are available as e-books through the above links. Both represent contributions to understanding and responding to the clerical sexual abuse crisis. CCP continues in its commitment to prevention of the abuse of minors through its mission of education and formation.