Vatican's prosecutor appointed as bishop for Malta

Vatican City, Oct 8, 2012 / 12:58 pm

Pope Benedict named Monsignor Charles J. Scicluna, the Vatican official in charge of prosecuting clergy abuse cases, as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Malta on Oct. 6.

"I'm eager to be with my people and be a bishop for them – which means giving your life for them," the bishop-designate told Malta's Sunday Times.

He will be ordained a bishop on Nov. 24, and will assist Archbishop Paul Cremona as a collaborator and advisor.

Bishop-designate Scicluna is due to arrive in Malta on the afternoon of Oct. 9 from Rome.

The Archdiocese of Malta has been without an auxiliary since Bishop Annetto Depasquale died in November 2011.

Bishop-designate Scicluna was ordained a priest for the Malta archdiocese in 1986, and earned a doctorate in canon law in 1991. He has served the archdiocese in its tribunal and seminary, as well as in parishes.

He has worked at the Vatican's highest court, the Apostolic Signatura, and since 2002 has been at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In his most recent post, Bishop-designate Scicluna was in charge of investigating and prosecuting sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy.

He has called for greater transparency in the Church and has taken a hard line on abusive priests.

Bishop-designate Scicluna's successor at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has yet to be named.