The April 2010 statement from the Bishops of England and Wales on abuse within our Church urged us all to pray for reparation and atonement. As a Parish, we fully embraced their call to start this process by specifically dedicating the Fridays of May 2010 to that end. But our commitment to prayer does not end there and must and will continue.

We are also called to play our part in ensuring that the suffering of victims of this abuse, whether it was physical, emotional or sexual in nature, is fully acknowledged, that they receive our ongoing support and that those responsible are brought to account.

We are committed through our safeguarding procedures to do everything possible to ensure that further abuse is prevented and to act expeditiously should suspicions arise.

Although we acknowledge with gratitude the role played by the secular media in bringing these matters to light when we, as a Church, failed to do so, we must also recognise that no-one concerned is well served by false accusations. In particular we need to acknowledge that the vast majority of priests are wholly innocent and fully embrace the celibate life. Indeed, evidence to date suggests no linkage between the call to celibacy and a propensity to abuse. We need also to resist any suggestion that the laity, in general, are or were knowingly complicit in abuses or their cover up.

Most particularly, though, we need to defend Pope Benedict against allegations that he was personally complicit in knowingly failing to act on abuse. The allegations to this effect relate to three specific cases, in Munich, Milwaukee and California, and to Vatican documents related to Canon Law which have been misinterpreted. A careful examination in context of the evidence offered to back up these allegations demonstrates that it fails to do so. For a full account of these allegations and the basis on which they are refuted we recommend that you read “A Guide for Perplexed Catholics”, which has been prepared by the Catholic Herald. It provides a very balanced and candid account with relevant links.

Cardinal Ratzinger on his arrival at the Vatican from Germany in 1982  was, like most of us at the time, not aware of the full extent of abuse, knowledge of each instance of which would seem to have been contained at local level. But he has been assiduous in dealing with this terrible matter both as Cardinal and as Pope, his actions reflecting at each stage his growing awareness of the extent of the problem and his authority to act. His knowledge of and commitment to dealing with this problem makes him uniquely qualified to lead the Church through this difficulty. Indeed, in the UK, the USA and elsewhere, with his full co-operation and encouragement, rigorous and effective protocols are already in place and the incidence of abuse has plummeted as a result. (The recent allegations all relate to abuse dating back decades.) It is anticipated that such protocols will soon be in introduced worldwide.

Those who are sincere in wishing to see abuse rooted out within the Church, far from seeking Pope Benedict’s removal, should support him in this mission. And while not seeking in any way to diminish the Church’s culpability in this matter it is important also to acknowledge that neither the propensity to abuse nor the need for vigilance in protecting the vulnerable are restricted to the Church. The incidence of abuse of the vulnerable elsewhere remains severe, ongoing and under-reported. This must also be our concern.

For further helpful information and important insights we recommend you dip into Just B16. Both this, and the Catholic Herald resource linked above will also lead you to further resources.

The Vatican also has a dedicated webpage on this issue linking to relevant information.

Jesus Christ gave St Peter the task of building the Church and this is what he did. The Church reminds us that God is love: It is the dwelling place of the Spirit and the place where we encounter the living God. Jesus gave the Church and Himself to us all, despite the frailty of our human nature. He is calling us now to go deeper: We are called to pray for forgiveness for sins of our Church and to help all who feel abandoned by the Church and by God and all who need our time, prayers and love. We are called to pray for renewal, to seek justice, to change what is wrong and provide what is missing. In consecrating ourselves anew to Jesus our Prince of Peace who is “the Way, and the Truth and Life” we will be drawn closer to Him and be better able to ensure that our Church fully and consistently communicates His Love to all.

Let us pray with Mary, Mother of the Church that we can do what He asks of us:

Updated May 2011