Scandal: Pope begs for forgiveness
Knock – Pope Francis yesterday asked for forgiveness for the “scandal and betrayal” felt by victims of sexual exploitation by Catholic clergy as he continued his tour of Ireland where years of abuse scandals have shattered the Church’s former dominance.
On the first papal visit to Ireland since 1979, Francis privately met with eight victims of clerical, religious and institutional abuse on Saturday and said he would seek a greater commitment to eliminating this “scourge”.
But pressure increased yesterday when a former top Vatican official accused Francis of having known of allegations of sex abuse by a prominent US cardinal for five years before accepting his resignation last month.
“None of us can fail to be moved by the stories of young people who suffered abuse, were robbed of their innocence and left scarred,” Francis told a crowd of tens of thousands at the Knock shrine in the west of Ireland.
“This open wound challenges us to be firm and decisive in the pursuit of truth and justice. I beg forgiveness for these sins and for the scandal and betrayal felt by so many in God’s family,” he said.
Years of sexual abuse scandals have shattered the credibility of the Church which four decades ago dominated Irish society.
In the past three years, Irish voters have approved abortion and gay marriage in referendums, defying the Vatican’s wishes.
The dwindling influence of the Catholic Church has been demonstrated by crowds far smaller than those that met Pope John Paul II during the last visit in 1979, when more than three-quarters of Ireland’s population turned out.
Francis, facing sexual abuse crises in several countries, wrote an open letter to all Catholics last week asking each one of them to help root out “this culture of death” and vowing there would be no more cover-ups. – Reuters