To bring to light the sexual abuses committed by some members of the clergy and to present means of prevention against this violence against future priests. These are the reasons behind the academic day organized by the Studium Theologicum Salesianum. The event was opened by the mass, which was attended by religious authorities, seminarians and religious. In his homily, the Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, H.E. Mgr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, dwelt on the words of the Apostle Paul: "No one can say that Jesus is the Lord, except under the action of the Holy Spirit". HE Mgr PIERBATTISTA PIZZABALLA, ofm Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem “In the first reading, we read a famous passage of Saint Paul: "We cannot say that Jesus is the Lord, except under the action of the Holy Spirit". I said in this opening of the Academic Year of Salesians and the White Fathers that studying is very important: we have to study Christology, we have to understand theologically who Jesus is, but the study cannot replace the experience of Christ, the Resurrected Christ, the Risen One." The academic day was marked by lectures, speeches and a musical performance by the students. Celibacy, chastity and sexual abuse are the topics addressed in this event, whose theme was "Ministry and prevention of sexual abuse". F GUSTAVO CAVAGNARI, sdb Rector and President of the Studium Theologicum Salesianum "Each year in our teaching program we try to ensure that at the beginning of the academic year, during the Academic Day, the invited person addresses current issues that are dear to the heart of the Church today, helping us to get to know them better. Since our students are mainly seminarians or candidates for priestly and religious life, it seemed appropriate to us to devote this year's theme to a positive, forward-looking and preventive look at the issue of formation to avoid abuse." The Archbishop of Malta was also invited to speak on the subject. In his lecture, he highlighted the thought expressed by the Holy Pope John Paul II in 2004 that prevention involves the formation of future priests as spiritual fathers and that a father does not abuse his family, does not abuse his children. HE Mgr CHARLES SCICLUNA Archbishop of Malta “Since 2001, the Church has a very clear norm about the procedures. Sometimes procedures take time and that is a disadvantage which we are trying to address. What the Pope has asked of the people of God is that reporting becomes a culture of prevention. You need to report abuse when it happens and that is the best way to address it when it happens. Not to cover up, not to deny it but to address and to meet the victims, and help them to come out of the extraordinary trauma they went through." ANDRÉ NEUHAUS Student of Theology "In some places, the reputation of the Church has suffered as a result of all these scandals. But in the Church, there is a strong impetus from those who are working to ensure that the clergy can be more and more a sign of God. This is what the Church can learn from all this. Charles' speech is about motivating the Church to reflect and analyze its presence in the world, aware of all the difficulties that it is going through. Also, to give an active and beneficial response to society". Read More