Pope Francis today named a former Vatican prosecutor known for his robust stance against clerical sexual abuse as the Archbishop of Malta.
Bishop Charles Scicluna, who was Promoter of Justice at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) and apostolic administrator of the diocese, will succeed Archbishop Paul Cremona in the post.
He said expert reports had been drafted on a review of the Maltese Church's senior personnel and that he wanted to address the archdiocese’s €500,000 deficit.
Speaking at a news conference today, the Archbishop-elect said that reforming the curia and listening to people would be top of his list of priorities.
"I wouldn't call them sleepless nights but my sleep hasn't been as peaceful as it had been. The curia needs restructuring," he said.
Archbishop-elect Scicluna, 55, was Promoter of Justice for a decade and during that time was commissioned by then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to investigate claims of sexual abuse against founder of the Legionaries of Christ, Fr Marcial Maciel.
Last year he travelled to the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh to “listen and report testimony” from clergy following the resignation of Cardinal Keith O’Brien, who stood down after allegations of sexual misconduct.
In January this year he was appointed to a CDF board reviewing the appeals process for those accused of sexual abuse.
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