GNIEZNO (POLAND)
Vatican News - Holy See [Vatican City]
March 7, 2025
By Kielce Gussie
Irish and Polish dioceses commemorate the Day of Prayer for Survivors and Victims of Sexual Abuse on the first Friday of Lent, which is March 7 this year.
Since 2016, the Vatican’s Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has established a Universal Day of Prayer for Survivors and Victims of Sexual Abuse. In the press release announcing its creation, the Commission explained that a “survivor of clerical child sexual abuse made the proposal of a Day of Prayer.”
In response, Pope Francis requested Bishops’ Conferences around the world to choose an appropriate day to mark this prayer initiative. Dioceses in Poland and Ireland mark the Day of Prayer for Survivors and Victims of Abuse on the first Friday of Lent, which this year falls on March 7.
Candles to be lit in Ireland
Since 2017, the dioceses in Ireland have commemorated this day of prayer. This year, parishes across the country will light blessed candles as a reminder of the importance of “atonement, repentance, and the light of hope amidst darkness.” These “Candles of Atonement” will be placed in cathedrals and churches throughout Ireland.
The tradition of the Candles of Atonement stems from Pope Francis’ visit to Dublin in 2018 during the 9th World Meeting of Families. During the closing Mass, he entreated God’s mercy for the crimes of abuse and asked for forgiveness on behalf of the Church. The candles are meant to “reflect the commitment to spiritual healing, reconciliation, and peace.”
Churches in Poland become meeting places of hope
In Poland, a line from the Gospel of St. Matthew serves as the motto for the Day of Prayer. The Delegate of the Polish Bishops’ Conference for the Protection of Children and Youth, Archbishop Wojciech Polak, invited everyone to use this day to express their solidarity with victims and survivors.
He explained that there are designated churches where people are encouraged to come together to pray with those affected. The Archbishop expressed his desire that these churches be “places of meeting and hope that we want to bring” to victims and survivors.
The Church in Poland has also provided reflections on the Stations of the Cross, along with testimonies from those wounded by abuse.
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors invites everyone to participate because public prayer raises awareness within the Church about abuse, helps in the protection of minors, and draws attention to the need to prevent future abuse.