Vatican Official Drops the “O” Word in Sex Abuse Talk

Most likely some Vatican insiders cringed when Monsignor Charles Scicluna, the Vatican’s point man in investigating Catholic abuse allegations, used the term “omerta” to describe the Church’s silence in not dealing with the Catholic priest sex abuse scandal. Here’s an excerpt of what he said, “The teaching … that truth is at the basis of justice explains why a deadly culture of silence, or ‘omerta,’ is in itself wrong and unjust. . .Other enemies of the truth are the deliberate denial of known facts and the misplaced concern that the good name of the institution should somehow enjoy absolute priority to the detriment of disclosure. No strategy for the prevention of child abuse will ever work without commitment and accountability.”
The fact that he used the term “omerta” in describing the Church hierarchy’s response to the abuse saga speaks volumes. The word has a definitively negative connotation that conjures up images of the Mafia. As a powerful Vatican insider, it would be hard to deny that the Maltese Monsignor used the term thoughtlessly.
Now, whether this talk will translate into definitive action on the part of the Vatican remains to be seen. At least, someone from Rome has finally stated the obvious, the Emperor has no clothes!