Dear Brother Priests, Deacons, Pastoral Administrators, Religious and Faithful:
In a world that is darkened by the pain of sin — particularly the devastating effects of sexual sin — we are reminded that, through our relationship with Jesus Christ, light can still break into the darkest valleys of our lives. This beautiful truth is expressed in Jesus’ calling to each of us in the Gospel of Matthew: “You are the light of the world,” or “Vos estis lux mundi.” Pope Francis has reminded us to respond to this call of Jesus, and to shine forth by remaining relentless in our rejection of sin, our accountability, and bringing healing and hope to those who are suffering.
This week, the Holy Father’s Apostolic Letter, Vos estis lux mundi (VELM), becomes operational and online. VELM establishes the Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting service “CBAR,” allowing any individual to relay to Church authorities abuse perpetrated by any U.S. Catholic bishop (or Eastern Rite eparch). As I have affirmed in the past, we share a collective mission to prevent all abuse and defend the dignity of the human person, to respond with compassion to victims when abuse occurs, and to ensure offenders are properly prosecuted. The Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting service is a continued step to stamp out the evil of sexual sin.
VELM strengthens the mission of the church to urge one to pursue holiness of life. In the opening lines of this Letter, Pope Francis noted: “Our Lord Jesus Christ calls every believer to be a shining example of virtue, integrity and holiness. All of us, in fact, are called to give concrete witness of faith in Christ in our lives and, in particular, in our relationship with others.” How true it is for Christians to be the people they say they are. This is even more true for a priest and a bishop.
The Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting service is another tool that allows victims to pursue a remedy within the Church, while underscoring the critical role that law enforcement authorities have in addressing the potential criminal aspects for the sake of the common good. All victims, and the accused, deserve our best effort in bringing justice, hope, and reconciliation, and I welcome this next step. It strengthens our mission as Christians and provides a practical vehicle for victims to address wrongs.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
+Most Reverend Steven J Raica
Bishop of Gaylord
