PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive
By Ivey DeJesus | idejesus@pennlive.com
on October 02, 2015
One of the most widely covered events during the Pope Francis visit to the U.S. was his meeting with victims of clergy sexual abuse.
Francis, who met with survivors of abuse on Sunday, his last day in Philadelphia, expressed his regret that trusted church officials had violated the innocence of children and had failed to protect them.
Francis consoled them by saying God heard their cries and believes them, and vowed to hold accountable the people who committed and covered up the crimes.
The overture was welcomed by some as a step in the right direction. For those who still struggle with the ravages of the years of abuse at the hands of a trusted priest, the pontiff’s gesture was little more than lip service.
More than 10 years after the clergy sex abuse scandal rocked the church in the U.S., the issue has forged little resolution between church officials and victims.
“I kind of wanted to like the pope until I saw what he was doing,” said John Delaney, who as a student at St. Cecilia Church in Philadelphia, was molested by a priest for more than 10 years. “He is not doing anything for me. He was applauding the bishops. It was a smack in my face. I was very hurt.”
Delaney was “Sean” in the 2005 grand jury report that detailed widespread clergy abuse of minors in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The 2005 report, alleged how the The Rev. James Brzyski subjected Delaney and at least 16 other boys to “unrelenting abuse, including fondling, oral sex, and anal rape” while working as an assistant pastor at two churches in the late 1970s and early ’80s.
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