STATEMENT FROMCARDINAL ROGER M. MAHONY
REGARDING SEXUAL ABUSE OF MINORS BY CLERGY
With the upcoming release of priests’ personnel files in theArchdiocese’s long struggle with the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy,my thoughts and prayers turn toward the victims of this sinful abuse.
Various steps toward safeguarding all children in the Church beganhere in 1987 and progressed year by year as we learned more about those whoabused and the ineffectiveness of so-called “treatments” at the time.Nonetheless, even as we began to confront the problem, I remained naïve myselfabout the full and lasting impact these horrible acts would have on the livesof those who were abused by men who were supposed to be their spiritual guides.That fuller awareness came for me when I began visiting personally withvictims. During 2006, 2007 and 2008, I held personal visits with some 90 suchvictims.
Those visits were heart-wrenching experiences for me as I listenedto the victims describe how they had their childhood and innocence stolen fromthem by clergy and by the Church. At times we cried together, we prayedtogether, we spent quiet moments in remembrance of their dreadful experience;at times the victims vented their pent up anger and frustration against me andthe Church.
Toward the end of our visits I would offer the victims my personalapology—and took full responsibility—for my own failure to protect fully thechildren and youth entrusted into my care. I apologized for all of us in theChurch for the years when ignorance, bad decisions and moral failings resultedin the unintended consequences of more being done to protect the Church—andeven the clergy perpetrators—than was done to protect our children.
I have a 3 x 5 card for every victim I met with on the altar of mysmall chapel. I pray for them every single day. As I thumb through those cardsI often pause as I am reminded of each personal story and the anguish thataccompanies that life story.
The cards contain the name of each victim since each one isprecious in God’s eyes and deserving of my own prayer and sacrifices for them.But I also list in parenthesis the name of the clergy perpetrator lest I forgetthat real priests created this appalling harm in the lives of innocent youngpeople.
It remains my daily and fervent prayer that God’s grace will floodthe heart and soul of each victim, and that their life-journey continuesforward with ever greater healing.
I am sorry.
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