During his visit to the United Kingdom, where he beatified Cardinal John Henry Newman, Pope Benedict XVI made what has been described as the strongest apology yet over the scandal of child abuse by members of the clergy.
Referring to “the immense suffering” caused by the abuse of children, especially within the Church and by her ministers, during a Eucharistic celebration in Westminster Cathedral, the Holy Father made a bold statement: “Above all,” he said, “I express my deep sorrow to the innocent victims of these unspeakable crimes, along with my hope that the power of Christ’s grace, His sacrifice of reconciliation, will bring deep healing and peace to their lives.”
Acknowledging “the shame and humiliation which all of us have suffered because of these sins”, Benedict XVI also expressed the hope that “this chastisement will contribute to the healing of the victims, the purification of the Church and the renewal of her age-old commitment to the education and care of young people.”
What the Holy Father stated at Westminster during his trip, which also included another private emotional meeting with abuse survivors, was a follow-on to what he had already shared with the journalists who accompanied him on the plane which took him to the UK.
The Pope told the journalists that the revelations about child abuse by members of the clergy “were a shock to me, a source of great sadness” and that “it is difficult to understand how this perversion of the priestly ministry was possible”. He also expressed sadness that the Church authorities “were not sufficiently vigilant, not quick and decisive enough in taking the necessary measures”, adding that “for all these reasons we are now in a time of penance, humility and renewed sincerity”.
As concerns the victims, the Pope moved on to make three important points.
After putting the question on “how can we make reparation, what can we do to help these people overcome their trauma, rediscover life and faith in the message of Christ,” Benedict XVI made it clear that concern and commitment to the victims “is the first priority, with material psychological and spiritual assistance”.
The second point is the problem of the guilty, “ensuring they receive just punishment” and that they have no possibility of approaching young people, “because we know that this is a disease and free will cannot function where the disease exists”. Thus, the Church must find ways to help these people and “protect them from themselves, excluding them from all access to young people”.
The third point concerns prevention through education and the selection of candidates to the priesthood; “vigilance so that as far as humanly possible future cases are avoided”.
Restoring trust among the faithful following child sex abuse scandals within her remains a tremendous challenge for the Church. In this context, the Church in Malta and Gozo should take the opportunity of the Holy Father’s fresh pronouncements on the matter to fully update the people of these islands on what she is already doing and is planning to do further to ensure effective “reparation”, proper action and “just punishment” concerning the guilty, and to consolidate prevention.
The culture of silence has been well and truly discredited by the momentous events of the past few months. The Church and its pastoral and spiritual mission have much to gain from being more open and communicative. Let it allow more light into how it deals with its followers and the wider world on these matters.