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  Benedict's Mission to Guide and Heal

Boston Herald
April 16, 2008

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/editorials/view.bg?articleid=1087357&srvc=home&position=rated

As Vatican flags fluttered along Pennsylvania Avenue and joyful Catholics prepared to meet their spiritual shepherd, Pope Benedict XVI yesterday issued a message, quite literally from above, that sought to salve the tender wounds of his American flock.

In remarkably personal terms the pontiff declared that he is "deeply ashamed" of the clergy sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic church, which defied his ability to understand.

"It is a great suffering for the Church in the United States and for the Church in general and for me personally that this could happen," Benedict said, in remarks aboard the papal plane as he traveled to Washington. "It is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betray in this way their mission . . . to their children.

"I am deeply ashamed and we will do what is possible so this cannot happen again in the future."

The message was not entirely new, and there are those who have already challenged Benedict to do more than utter healing statements. But it was critically important that the pontiff set the tone for the first papal pilgrimage to the United States since the scandal broke in 2002 - the effects of which have rippled far beyond the children who fell prey to abusive priests.

Deep shame, was the only place to start.

Declaring pedophilia "absolutely incompatible" with the priesthood at one time may have seemed unnecessary, but given what we know, is no longer.

His statement that "it is more important to have good priests than many priests" will be questioned by those who believe, say, women should be ordained, but could be interpreted as a subtle rebuke of church leaders who for decades closed ranks around their abusive brethren.

An age ago, when Pope John Paul II visited the United States for the first time as pontiff, he made a triumphant pilgrimage to this archdiocese. Hidden from view then were the twin evils of abuse and secrecy, revelations of which have forced Catholics to undergo a painful awakening.

That is why Catholics here at ground zero of the crisis had hoped Benedict would visit Boston to ease their pain in person. It is a pity, though not altogether surprising, that he chose not to. While the church has moved beyond its shameful history of denial, in some ways it still moves at the pace of any monolith.

But Benedict made clear before he ever touched on American soil that healing is very much a part of this pilgrimage.

 
 

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