CNA asked Fabene if - given the "horrible crimes" of the abuse crisis - calling on young people to confront violent priests could put them at greater risk.
Fabene said the invitation to hold priests to account directly was "prophetic on the part of the pope," who was entrusting young people with "this mission, this task, this closeness" in rejuvenating the heart of "priests who find themselves in difficulty" in their vocation and mission.
"I don't see any problems with this," he said. "I see an act of trust that the pope has in young people … that shines throughout all of the document."
The apostolic exhortation's eight-paragraph section titled "Ending every form of abuse" makes extensive use of quotes from the final document of the Synod of Bishops on young people, faith, and vocational discernment, first published October 28.
The text of Christus vivit adds that young people "can be a source of great healing if they employ their great capacity to bring about renewal, to urge and demand consistent witness, to keep dreaming and coming up with new ideas."
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"Our sins are before the eyes of everyone; they appear all too clearly in the lines on the age-old face of the Church, our Mother and Teacher," the pope wrote in paragraph 101.
"Let us never forget that we must not abandon our Mother when she is wounded, but stand beside her, so that she can summon up all her strength and all her ability to begin ever anew."
The new document "reaffirms the firm commitment made to adopting rigorous preventative measures intended to avoid the recurrence of these crimes, starting with the selection and formation of those to whom tasks of responsibility and education will be entrusted."