Charles Jude Scicluna (born 15 May 1959) is a Canadian-Maltese prelate of the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
who has been the Archbishop of
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
since 2015. He held positions in the
Roman Curia from 1995 to 2012, when he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Malta. Both as a curial official and since becoming a bishop he has conducted investigations into sexual abuse by clergy on behalf of the Holy See and led a board that reviews such cases. He has been called "the Vatican's most respected sex crimes expert".
Since November 2018 he has also been an Adjunct Secretary of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from heresy and is the body responsible ...
, the curial body responsible for dealing with
clerical sexual abuse cases on minors around the world.
Education and priesthood
Scicluna was born to Maltese parents in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
, Canada, on 15 May 1959. His family moved to
Qormi
Qormi ( mt, Ħal Qormi ; pronounced in the Qormi dialect), also known by its title Città Pinto, is a city in the Southern Region of Malta, southwest of Valletta in the centre of the island. It has a population of 16,324 (as of March 2018), mak ...
in Malta when he was 11 months old. In Malta, he attended
St. Edward's College
St Edward's College, England is a co-educational Catholic school with academy status in the UK located in the Liverpool suburb of West Derby. Founded in 1853 as the Catholic Institute, the college was formerly a boys grammar school run by the ...
. After secondary school, he studied at the Major Seminary there. He went to the University of Malta in 1976 and obtained a
Doctor of Laws
A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ...
(LLD) degree in
civil law there in 1984. After completing his seminary studies and earning a
Licentiate of Sacred Theology (STL) in
pastoral theology
Pastoral theology is the branch of practical theology concerned with the application of the study of religion in the context of regular church ministry. This approach to theology seeks to give practical expression to theology. Normally viewed as a ...
at the Faculty of Theology in the Seminary at Tal-Virtù, he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Malta by Archbishop
Joseph Mercieca
Joseph Mercieca ( mt, Ġużeppi Mercieca, 11 November 1928 – 21 March 2016) was a Maltese prelate who served as the second Archbishop of Malta from 1976 to 2006. He is credited with restoring stability in the Maltese church following the dispu ...
on 11 July 1986. In 1991 he also obtained a
Doctorate of Canon Law (JCD) at the
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school ( pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy.
The Gregorian originated as ...
in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
.
His thesis supervisor was
Raymond Burke and he presented it to Professor
Urbano Navarrete Cortés
Urbano Navarrete Cortés, S.J. (25 May 1920 – 22 November 2010) was a Spanish Roman Catholic cardinal, professor of canon law and former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was made a cardinal in 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI.
Bi ...
, SJ; both later became cardinals. Scicluna later said: "They wanted me to stay in Rome, in the Apostolic Signatura, but the archbishop called me back to Malta."
Between 1990 and 1995, he was defender of the bond and promoter of justice at Metropolitan Court of Malta, Professor of Pastoral Theology and Canon Law at the Faculty of Theology and Vice-Rector of the Major Seminary of the Archdiocese. His pastoral activities included service at the parishes of St. Gregory the Great in
Sliema
Sliema ( mt, Tas-Sliema ) is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Harbour District. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. It is also the most densely po ...
and Transfiguration in
Iklin
Iklin ( mt, L-Iklin) is a village in the Central Region of Malta, with a population of 3,247 as at 2021. Iklin was established in the mid-20th century; however some archaeological sites and a medieval chapel, named as St. Michael Chapel, are pro ...
. He served as chaplain to the local Convent of St. Catherine.
[
]
Curial service
In 1995 he began his 17-year Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
career, first as Deputy Promoter of Justice at the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura and then beginning in 2002 as Promoter of Justice in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the soverei ...
. He also taught as Invited Professor at the Faculty of Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University.[ Between 1996 and 2007, he promoted the cause of the canonization of Saint ]George Preca
George Preca (in mt, Ġorġ Preca) (12 February 1880 – 26 July 1962) was a Maltese Catholic priest and the founder of the Society of Christian Doctrine as well as a Third Order Carmelite. He is known as "Dun Ġorġ" in Maltese and Pope John ...
.
As Promoter of Justice, he was credited with constructing the 2010 universal norms that extended the Church's statutes of limitations on reporting cases of sexual abuse and expanded the category of ecclesial crimes to include sexual misconduct with a disabled adult and possession of child pornography. He provided a brief history of the activities of the CDF with respect to abuse cases in a June 2010 interview.
In 2005, Ratzinger tasked Scicluna with collecting testimony about the founder of the Legionaries of Christ
The Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ ( la, Congregatio Legionariorum Christi; abbreviated LC; also Legion of Christ) is a Roman Catholic clerical religious order made up of priests and candidates for the priesthood established by Marci ...
, Rev. Marcial Maciel
Marcial Maciel Degollado (March 10, 1920 – January 30, 2008) was a Mexican Catholic priest who founded the Legion of Christ and the Regnum Christi movement. He was general director of the Legion from 1941 to 2005. Throughout most of his car ...
, amid allegations of abuse.
At a prayer service for priests in St Peter's Basilica in May 2010, Scicluna addressed the clerical vocation and said:
He went on to quote the gospels on the corruption of the young–"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea" (Mark 9:42)–and then quoted Gregory the Great
Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregoria ...
's exegesis of that verse's meaning for priests:[
Addressing a conference on sexual abuse held in February 2012 at the Pontifical Gregorian University, he explained that the CDF needed the support of the entire church hierarchy for its procedures to have their intended impact: "No strategy for the prevention of child abuse will ever work without commitment and accountability." He said that "the deliberate denial of known facts, and the misplaced concern that the good name of the institution should somehow enjoy absolute priority" were "enemies of truth" and reflected "a deadly culture of silence" which he characterized as a form of ''omertà'', the word used to describe the Mafia's code of silence to protect criminal conspiracies in the face of civil and criminal authority. He described the pastoral needs of those abused, "the radical need of the victim to be heard attentively, to be understood and believed, to be treated with dignity as he or she plods on the tiresome journey of recovery and healing", and highlighted the special care needed by those who find themselves unable to recover, "who seem to have identified 'self' simply with 'having been victims'". He told reporters that bishops needed to adhere to church law and CDF's standards: "It is a crime in canon law to show malicious or fraudulent negligence in the exercise of one's duty. I'm not saying that we should start punishing everybody for any negligence in his duties. But what I want to say is that this is not acceptable. It is not acceptable that when there are set standards, people do not follow the set standards."
]
Auxiliary Bishop
On 6 October 2012, Pope Benedict XVI named Scicluna Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Malta and Titular Bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.
By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox ...
of San Leone. The Holy See announcement described him as "highly respected among his peers around the world for his lecturing skills and his expertise in child protection issues".[ In an interview on the eve of his departure from Rome, Scicluna said the move was a promotion and not a manifestation of departmental rivalries within the Holy See. He said it did not indicate any alteration in policy with respect to the handling of sex abuse cases, which would continue to maintain the aggressive stance he had adopted: "This is policy. It's not Scicluna. It's the pope. And this will remain." He said he would continue to address the issue as bishop: "If you want to silence someone, you don't make him a bishop."
He was consecrated bishop on 24 November 2012 by Archbishop Paul Cremona.][ The co-consecrators were Archbishop Emeritus ]Joseph Mercieca
Joseph Mercieca ( mt, Ġużeppi Mercieca, 11 November 1928 – 21 March 2016) was a Maltese prelate who served as the second Archbishop of Malta from 1976 to 2006. He is credited with restoring stability in the Maltese church following the dispu ...
and Bishop Mario Grech
Mario Grech (born 20 February 1957) is a Maltese prelate who was Bishop of Gozo from 2005 to 2019. He was Pro-Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops from October 2019 until he became Secretary General in September 2020.
Pope Francis raise ...
of Gozo. In his Christmas sermon the next year, Scicluna discussed the need for "strong families", later telling an interviewer that when had told the pope he was worried about the legalization of same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples in Malta the pope encouraged him to speak out.
Appointments
On 1 December 2012 Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the soverei ...
appointed Scicluna to a renewable five-year term as a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from heresy and is the body responsible ...
.
In April 2014 Scicluna was appointed by the Holy See to take the testimony of clergy alleging sexual misconduct in the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh
The Archdiocese of Saint Andrews & Edinburgh ( la, Archidioecesis Sancti Andreae et Edimburgensis) is an archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Scotland. It is the metropolitan see of the province of Saint Andrews and Edinbu ...
.
In January 2015 he was appointed to preside over the new doctrinal team dealing with appeals filed by clergy accused of abuse within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from heresy and is the body responsible ...
(CDF). On 13 November 2018 Francis gave him in addition the post of Adjunct Secretary of the CDF.
Archbishop of Malta
Upon the resignation of Archbishop Paul Cremona, Scicluna was appointed Apostolic Administrator
An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic adm ...
of the archdiocese on 18 October 2014. During this period a number of sexual abuse cases emerged concerning a Dominican priest. On 27 February 2015 Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
appointed Scicluna Metropolitan Archbishop of Malta. He was installed on 21 March 2015 in St Paul's Cathedral in Mdina.
On 30 January 2018, after Pope Francis was sharply criticized for controversial comments about the clergy sex abuse scandal in Chile, he sent Scicluna to conduct an investigation and take statements from victims who charged that Juan Barros, whom Francis named Bishop of Osorno in 2015, had personal knowledge of their abuse years earlier.[ On 8 April, in a letter to the bishops of Chile, Francis said that Scicluna's 2,300-page report prompted him to apologize for misrepresenting the evidence of clerical sexual abuse in Chile and to summon the bishops of Chile to Rome for consultation in May. On 11 June 2018 Francis accepted the resignation of Barros, along with the resignation of two other bishops in Chile.
]
Views
Sexuality
During the Vatican Abuse Summit, Italian journalist Sandro Magister asked Scicluna why the term “homosexuality” was absent from the opening day presentations of the summit. Scicluna replied, “These are human conditions eterosexuality and homosexualitythat we recognize, that exist. But they aren’t something that really predisposes to sin."
Honours
* Russian Imperial Family
The House of Romanov (also transcribed Romanoff; rus, Романовы, Románovy, rɐˈmanəvɨ) was the reigning imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after the Tsarina, Anastasia Romanova, was married to t ...
: Knight Grand Cordon of the Imperial Order of Saint Stanislaus (21 June 2017)[http://www.imperialhouse.ru/images/2017-malta-full/image-12.jpg ]
* Russian Imperial Family
The House of Romanov (also transcribed Romanoff; rus, Романовы, Románovy, rɐˈmanəvɨ) was the reigning imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after the Tsarina, Anastasia Romanova, was married to t ...
: Recipient of the 400th Anniversary Medal of the House of Romanov
*Knight Grand Officer of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (2015)
*Grand Prior of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Lieutenancy of Malta (2015)
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scicluna, Charles J.
Living people
1959 births
People from Qormi
Clergy from Toronto
Maltese theologians
Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals in Europe
Officials of the Roman Curia
Curial response to Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals
Canon law jurists
Members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Legion of Christ
Archbishops of Malta
21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Malta
Canadian emigrants to Malta