UNITED STATES
Toledo Blade
Pope Francis recently begged the countless victims of clerical abuse to forgive him for the “evil” committed by Catholic clergy.
It was the first time any pope has personally taken responsibility for the worldwide rape and molestation of children perpetrated for decades by priests. It was the first time any pope asked pardon for the sex crimes of revered clerics — and the bishops who looked the other way.
But is it enough for this pope to go beyond the apologies and denunciations of his predecessors in addressing the stunning scope of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church? Do the many young victims, who grew up wounded because a trusted priest molested them, feel Pope Francis has their back?
No, says Toledo native Barbara Blaine, a victim of clerical abuse as a child. More than 25 years ago, she founded what is now a nationwide support and advocacy group for victims called Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
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