WASHINGTON
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle

January 15, 2016

To the clergy, religious, and laity of the Archdiocese of Seattle, and to all who have been impacted by the sinful actions of sexual abuse of minors by clergy or religious brothers or sisters:

My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I express my deepest apologies for the actions of those who were in positions of trust and who violated that sacred trust by abusing the vulnerable in their care. Our work in this area will not be complete until all those who have been harmed have received assistance in healing, and until the evil of child sexual abuse has been eradicated from society.

When I became Archbishop of Seattle in December, 2010, one of my first priorities was to
familiarize myself with the issue of sexual abuse of minors perpetrated by clergy in the Archdiocese, and to learn…