Denver Catholic

2 JUNE 22-JULY 12, 2019 | DENVER CATHOLIC Archbishop's Page Archbishop's Column approving three measures to increase our vigilance and prevention of the evil of sexual abuse by bishops, shep- herds who have betrayed the flock entrusted to them. This last weekend we celebrated Father's Day, which should remind biological and spiritual fathers of their great responsibility of protect- ing and raising up new life. This mis- sion is further emphasized by the Rite for the Ordination of a Bishop, which says, "In the Church entrusted to you, be a faithful steward, moderator and guardian of the mysteries of Christ. Since you are chosen by the Father to rule over his family, be mindful always of the Good Shepherd, who knows his sheep and is known by them, and who did not hesitate to lay down his life for them." This is the model for all bishops. But the scandals of Theodore McCarrick, Bishop Bransfield and others have made it clear that our vigilance has not been adequate. To quote from the just-issued "A‹rm- ing Our Episcopal Commitment" statement, "We, the bishops of the United States, have heard the anger expressed by so many within and out- side of the Church over these failures. The anger is justified; it has humbled us, prompting us into self-examina- tion, repentance, and a desire to do better." This sentiment was clear in my interactions with my fellow bish- ops in Baltimore this past week. As evidence of our commitment, we overwhelmingly passed a set of directives for the bishops' conference to implement Pope Francis' Vos estis lux mundi document on handling abuse by priests and bishops. These directives include the creation by May 31, 2020 of a third-party phone and online system that receives reports of potential violations by bishops, the establishment of a « Repenting and renewing our role as shepherds Pope Francis' motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi can be read at: bit.ly/2vMyAnx The USCCB Directives imple- menting Vos estis can be read at: bit.ly/2KSVOBk PHOTO BY DANIEL PETTY

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