UNITED STATES
Idaho State Journal
In what’s being called the Catholic Church’s most serious attempt yet to apologize for tolerating decades of priests molesting children, Pope Francis this week asked the abuse victims for forgiveness and promised to bring molester priests and their enablers to justice.
“I beg your forgiveness…for the sins of omission on the part of church leaders who did not respond adequately to reports of abuse made by family members, as well as by abuse victims themselves. This led to even greater suffering on the part of those who were abused and it endangered other minors who were at risk,” said the pope following his meeting at the Vatican this week with six people who as children were molested by Catholic priests.
The pope also promised that the church would make reparations to those who were molested, though it’s unclear how the Catholic Church could ever financially heal the wounds suffered by the numerous victims of the abuse in the United States and several other countries. Francis seemed to be equally angry at the church leaders who have tolerated the molester priests as he is with the abusers themselves, and the tone of his words made it clear that his sorrow and desire to change the church’s image are sincere.
He said, “There is no place in the church’s ministry for those who commit these abuses, and I commit myself not to tolerate harm done to a minor by any individual, whether a cleric or not…. Before God and his people, I express my sorrow for the sins and grave crimes of clerical sexual abuse committed against you. And I humbly ask forgiveness.”
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