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	Towards Healing and Renewal Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference March 19, 2011 http://www.catholicbishops.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Towards-Healing-and-Renewal-final.pdf [pdf] The abuse of children by some priests and religious was an appalling wrong. The inadequate response by some Church leaders has left a deep wound that may never be fully healed. No apology, no gesture of repentance or sorrow can ever make up for the hurt that has been caused to those abused and to their families: they have been grievously harmed and let down by people who professed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are deeply ashamed of this and we are profoundly sorry for any failures on our part. Today we wish to give expression to that sorrow by expressing our commitment to existing initiatives as well as to a number of new initiatives. Our hope is that these initiatives will enhance the personal, pastoral, spiritual and practical support available to survivors of child physical and sexual abuse by some priests and religious in the Catholic Church in Ireland. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI in his Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland, 'No one imagines that this painful situation will be resolved swiftly'. What is set out here today represents only part of a wider response and a longer journey to be undertaken by the Church in helping to bring healing and peace to survivors of abuse.
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