Pope Francis has spoken; now he must act

We heard from the grand jury. And it was horrific. Again. The grand jury had heard from the victims. And their pain was palpable. Again. We heard from the bishops, vowing to make changes and pledging to help the victims. Again. After a few days we heard from the Vatican, describing the shame of what had happened and the agony of the victims as “criminal and morally reprehensible.” Again. On Sunday we heard from parishioners, openly questioning how this could have happened and where the church goes from here. Again. Some even suggested they would either stay away or refuse to contribute to the collection basket.

Finally, on Monday, we heard from the one person who had not yet weighed in on the monstrous grand jury report released last week that laid bare – in horrific detail – the worst sins of the church.

The grand jury eviscerated a culture of priest abuse in six Pennsylvania dioceses, more than 300 clerics who abused 1,000 children, boys and girls, for decades with the seeming assurance that there were probably at least as many who had not been identified. Even worse was the actions of superiors and higher-ups in the church, who engaged in a pattern of cover-ups intended not to aid, comfort and assist the young victims, but to protect the church at all costs.

Pope Francis did not mince words. In a letter issued to Catholics around the world, the pontiff condemned what too many in the Catholic church have tried to explain away for decades.

He called sex abuse of children by priests a crime, along with the massive cover-up that has been the hallmark of each of these grand jury proceedings, first in Philadelphia, then in Altoona-Johnstown, and now in the remaining six Pennsylvania dioceses.

“We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them,” Pope Francis declared.

The letter, issued in seven languages, came as the pope embarked on a trip to Ireland, another staunchly Catholic nation where the church’s reputation has been stained by the familiar refrain of priests preying on their young charges, and their superiors covering it up.

The pope sought to offer solace to the victims, vow transparency and accountability in the wake of the latest headlines, and institute changes to insure – perhaps once and for all – that this not happen again.

“No effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated,” the pope said in his letter.

And he appears ready to take action in that regard, including sanctioning bishops who took part in the cover-up that allowed problem priests to continue to prey on untold more victims.

Unfortunately, the pope did not specify what type of measures he would take. He also did not weigh in on the legislative tug of war that has surrounded this issue for years.

Legislation in Pennsylvania would lift the statute of limitations on criminal charges in such cases, as well as opening a window to allow past victims to bring civil actions against the church and get their day in court.

The church, Catholic groups and the insurance industry have consistently put up fierce resistance to such a move, saying it could bankrupt many dioceses, and lead to more painful parish and school closings,

Perhaps the best sign from the pontiff was one specific word.

Instead of referring to “sins and omissions,” which is how the U.S. bishops conference responded to the most recent grand jury report, Pope Francis used a much more exact – and devastating – noun: Crimes.

“Let us beg forgiveness for our own sins and the sins of others,” the pope wrote. “An awareness of sin helps us to acknowledge the errors, the crimes and the wounds caused in the past and allows us, in the present, to be more open and committed along a journey of renewed conversion.”

It took a week, but the pope’s voice was stern and resolute.

Now he must act to take the necessary steps to assist the victims, identify and root out the abusers – as well as their protectors. He is right. It is a crime. And there is one word we never want to hear again in connection with these evil, unspeakable acts:

Again.