BishopAccountability.org
	Bishop Murphy Praises Pope's Comments on Scandal By Bart Young and John Valenti Newsday April 18, 200 http://www.newsday.com/news/specials/pope/ny-limurp0419,0,5966174.story Waiting for the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI at Kennedy Airport on Friday, Bishop William Murphy of the Diocese of Rockville Centre praised the pontiff on his willingness to candidly comment on the sex abuse scandal on his first papal visit to the United States. Murphy also praised the fact that the pope took time to meet with some of those sex abuse victims earlier this week while in Washington, D.C. "I was very pleased that he did that," Murphy said. "All of us bishops have been meeting with victims" -- although Murphy, who said he has met with victims since becoming bishop in 2001, added: "That's not something that I announce." Murphy said he agreed with the pontiff's comments that the bishops handled the sex abuse scandal "very badly." Coincidentally, the comments from Murphy came on the same day that one Pennsylvania priest is scheduled to be sentenced for his role in a sex abuse case in U.S. District Court in Central Islip. "That there may have been some bishops that mishandled it, that was done I'm sure without malice," Murphy said. "But sometimes mistakes are made and we have to acknowledge that. "The point, however, is that for the last five years the Church in the United States has addressed the problem and I think addressed it with real seriousness. We're very serious about it and I'm very grateful to the pope that he recognized that. He spoke the truth and he also recognized the truth."
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.