VATICAN CITY
Crux
Inés San MartínAugust 15, 2016
VATICAN CORRESPONDENT
ROME- It might be a cliché, but actions generally speak louder than words, and rarely is that more evident than when a pope apologizes.
On his way back from Armenia in late June, Pope Francis suggested that Christians probably should ask forgiveness from gays who have been offended by the Church, from the poor, from women who have been mistreated, from children exploited for labor, and for having blessed so many weapons – basically, from anyone whom the Church could have defended and failed to do so.
Last Friday, when Francis visited a Rome center for women rescued from prostitution rackets, he delivered an apology for one of these issues through both deeds and words, asking forgiveness from the women there, in the name of Christianity, for the suffering they’ve endured. …
Although a supporter of John Paul’s proclivity to ask for forgiveness, Benedict XVI was more guarded when apologizing – but like Francis, he also backed most of the ones he delivered with actions.
To give one example, in 2010 Benedict delivered what was deemed an unprecedented apology in the form of an 8-page letter to the victims of clerical sexual abuse in Ireland. In it, he expressed his “shame and remorse” for “sinful and criminal acts.”
He admitted that years of crimes committed by clergy and lay Catholics in schools and orphanages had shattered faith in the Church, and was highly critical of the way that the Irish Church had handled the cases of abuse.
Addressing the victims and their families directly, Benedict said: “I know that nothing can undo the wrong you have endured. Your trust has been betrayed and your dignity violated.”
During Benedict’s papacy, the Vatican laicized over 800 priests for sexual abuses and more than 2,500 received other punishments, such as a life of penance and prayer or a ban on public ministries.
Pope Francis has apologized for the crime of sexual abuse by clergy as well, and backed his statements with actions- though, as is usually the case when the scope of the apology is so big, many have deemed those actions insufficient.
For instance, last September, when meeting a group of survivors of sexual abuse in Philadelphia, Francis expressed “deep regret” over the betrayal the victims suffered, the times when the Church ignored survivors or their families speaking out and some bishops’ failure in their responsibility to protect children.
“I pledge to you that we will follow the path of truth wherever it may lead. Clergy and bishops will be held accountable when they abuse or fail to protect children,” he said.
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