BY Ian Dunn | April 4 | 
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Vatican expert heads to St Andrews and Edinburgh Archdiocese at Pope’s request
Archbishop Leo Cushley informs priests, hopes for 'eventual reconciliation' and welcomes Maltese Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna, who visits to look into allegations of misconduct and abuse
The Vatican is sending an expert to look into the issue of misconduct in the St Andrews and Edinburgh Archdiocese.
An ad clerum letter from Archbishop Leo Cushley of St Andrews and Edinburgh to the priests of his archdiocese reveals that Pope Francis asked the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops to send Maltese Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna (above) to ‘listen to and report the testimony offered by past and present members of the clergy concerning any incidents of sexual misconduct committed against them by other members of the clergy whomsoever.’
The Maltese bishop, who will visit the archdiocese next week, ‘will be available to listen’ to those who make an appointment. Bishop Scicluna, has also asked those who wish to speak with him to ‘prepare their narrative in writing.’
Bishop Scicluna is best known for being asked by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in 2005 to collect testimony regarding the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, Fr Marcial Maciel, who was later found guilty of sexual abuse.
Bishop Scicluna served as the promoter of justice at the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, where in he investigated many allegations of clergy abuse, until 2012, when he was made an auxiliary bishop in Malta.
In a statement Archbishop Cushley said he was ‘grateful to the Holy Father’ for sending Bishop Scicluna’s as he believed the visit would be ‘a positive step towards truth and eventual reconciliation’ and ‘the right thing to do.’
“I am reassured by this and will be pleased to support Bishop Scicluna in any way I can,” the archbishop said. “It is also important that the Holy See take such steps as are necessary to establish and evaluate the serious allegations which have been made over the last 18 months or so. In order to allow Bishop Scicluna to listen and report fully, I encourage all those concerned to cooperate serenely with him.”
Cardinal Keith O’Brien, who had served as the archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh since 1985, stepped down from that role last year following allegations of personal misconduct.
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