The Catholic Weekly 5 July 2020

24 NEWS 5, July, 2020 GIVEN THE sexual crimes by Catholic clergy that have come to light from 2002 on- ward, as well as increased so- cietal awareness of the prob- lem of child abuse in general, the paucity of officially ap- proved Catholic literature for abuse survivors is shameful. Among the tiny handful of print resources that do exist for Catholics who were sex- ually victimised as children, Veronica’s Veil , publishedwith an imprimatur from Bishop Paul Loverde, a former head of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, is by far the most ambitious. Authors Father Lewis Fiorelli, an Oblate of St Fran- cis de Sales and a spiritual di- rector, and Teresa Pitt Green, a survivor, seek to reach not only adult victims of abuse but also their priests, educa- tors, spiritual directors and therapists. To that end, Veronica’s Veil offers a loosely systematised program for healing and re- newal. It is divided into sec- tions on “First Steps,” “Lis- tening & Dialogue,” “Turning Points” and “Reconciliation.” These are further subdi- vided into brief reflections on topics of relevance to sur- vivors and their caregivers, with alternating point/coun- terpoint commentary by the authors. Additionally, each section is prefaced by separate reflec- tions from each of the authors as well as a therapist, Frank Moncher. In this way, the book aims to offer a spectrum of spiritual wisdomand personal witness, presented in a manner that is sensitive to readers’ psycho- logical needs. The book’s spirituality is grounded in the earthy or- thodoxy of Father Fiorelli’s Salesian outlook – patient, compassionate and solidly Christ-centred. To this, Green adds her per- spective on how such spirit- uality may be translated into Aid for survivors is at least a start lived experience. As might be expected with a book that sets its sights upon such a diverse audience, the writing of Veronica’s Veil has a diffuse quality. Powerful insights that could have a healing effect upon survivors are laid like buried treasures amid lengthy, out- sider-friendly descriptions of victims’ perspectives. The authors’ best insight is their recognition that sur- vivors who seek healing through the Catholic Church must necessarily want to draw closer to God through the church’s sacramental life. Particularly helpful in this regard is their advice for priests and spiritual directors on how to help survivors ap- proach the sacrament of con- fession. Although Veronica’s Veil covers divine forgiveness well, its treatment of forgiving oth- ers is surprisingly brief and unsatisfying. It is a tense topic for sur- vivors, to be sure; one can understand the authors’ re- luctance to place any kind of spiritual pressure upon them. Yet a simple quotation from the catechism’s teachings on forgiveness would have helped readers understand that its healing power was within their reach. “It is not in our power not to feel or to forget an offence; but the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury into compassion and purifies the memory in transforming the hurt into intercession” ( Catechism of the Catholic Church , 2843). - CNS The authors’ best insight is their recognition that survivors who seek healing through the Catholic Church must necessarily want to draw closer to God through the church’s sacramental life.” ¾ ¾ Dawn Eden Goldstein Abuse claim ‘credible’ Credible: Bishop Christo- pher J.Weldon. PHOTO: CNS A US Diocese has re- leased a report submitted by a retired judge docu- menting his investigation into a claim of sexual abuse by a former bish- op and his finding the claim to be “unequivocal- ly credible.” The report by former Superior Court Judge Pe- ter Velis also covers how the diocese of Spingfield in the state of Massachus- setts handled this com- plaint and opportunities for improvement on han- dling future abuse allega- tions. The full report was re- leased on 24 June on the diocesan website, www. diospringfield.org, con- current with a news brief- ing presented by Velis and Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski at the Bishop Marshall Centre and via livestreaming on the di- ocesan website. Bishop Christopher J. Weldon, a native of the Archdiocese of New York, was installed as the fourth bishop of the Springfield Diocese on 28 March 1950, and served until his retirement in 1977. He died on 19 March 1982, at age 76. Allegations of sexual abuse by Bishop Weldon, dating back to the early 1960s, were first related to diocesan staff mem- bers in 2014, and in July 2019, Velis was appointed by the diocese to explore and investigate these alle- gations. - CNS TRADITIONAL FUNERAL DIRECTORS gregoryandcarr.com.au LOCATIONS BROOKVALE | GORDON | MONA VALE | NORTH RYDE | NORTH STRATHFIELD Gregory and Carr’s dedicated staff is available 24-hours a day, every day of the year to help you through one of the most difficult times of your life. PROUDLY AUSTRALIAN FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED 1800 266 588 Aiming to help survivors of abuse: Veronica’s Veil: Spiritual Companionship for Survivors of Abuse by Rev Lewis Fiorelli, OSFS, and Teresa Pitt Green. IMAGE: CNS/COURTESY TERESA PITT GREEN Well intentioned, delicate and useful book has also missed a few opportunities The book’s spirituality is buried in earthy orthodoxy ... Powerful insights that could have a healing effect upon survivors are laid like buried treasures ... par- ticularly helpful is their advice for priests and spiritual directors on how to help survivors approach the Sacra- ment of Confession.” Dawn Eden Goldstein Superior Court Judge Peter Velis. PHOTO: CNS NEW