Pope, the Bishops watch what they did, have failed to prevent abuse

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – In a sumptuous Vatican room designed in the 16th century for pontifical meetings with kings, the cardinal said: "We admit that we have protected the guilty and silenced those who have been wounded."

"Kyrie, eleison" (Lord, have mercy), answered Pope Francis and some 190 cardinals, bishops and religious superiors from around the world to the confessions read on their behalf by Cardinal John Dew of Wellington, New Zealand.

After three days of meetings, nine important speeches and heartrending testimonies of survivors of badual abuse committed by religious, participants in the Vatican Summit on Child Protection and the Crisis of Abuse met in the Sala Regia (literally " Royal Hall ") of the Apostolic Palace of February. 23 for a penitential liturgy.

The centerpiece of the liturgy was the reading of the story of the prodigal son or, as the Vatican says, "the merciful father" of Luke 15: 11-32 and a long "examination of conscience" that asked the bishops as individuals and as presidents of episcopal conferences, let's be honest about what they did and what they did not do to protect children, support survivors and deal with abusive priests.

While Pope Francis was presiding over the penitential service at the Vatican Summit on the Protection of Children and the End of Sexual Abuse Committed by Religious, Archbishop Philip Naameh of Tamale, Ghana, delivered a statement. ;homily.

He told the Pope and his brother bishops that they often preached about the parable of the prodigal son, encouraging their people to return to God and ask for forgiveness.

But, he said, "we willingly forget to apply this Scripture to ourselves and to see ourselves as we are, to know like prodigal sons." Just like the prodigal son in the Gospel, we have also demanded our inheritance, are busy wasting it. "

"The current crisis of abuse is an expression of it," said Archbishop Naameh.

"Too often, we have remained silent, looked in the other direction and avoided conflict," he said, adding that bishops were often "too satisfied" to face "the dark side of our church ".

Failing to act, he said, they "squandered the trust placed in us".

And, claiming fraternity at the College of Bishops, he said, even bishops who have not had to deal directly with an allegation of abuses against the Bishops, he said. a priest of their diocese share the responsibility for not having acted.

In the history of the Gospel, said the Archbishop, the first step in obtaining the forgiveness of the merciful father is for the prodigal son "to be very humble, to perform very simple tasks and to ask no privilege".

Like the prodigal son, bishops must acknowledge their mistakes, confess their sins, speak openly and be "ready to accept the consequences," said Archbishop Naameh.

A victim of abuse also spoke quietly and quietly to the pope and the bishops that as a victim, "what you carry in you is like a ghost that others can not see. you will never see or know you completely ".

The memory of the abuse is still there, said the man, who has not been identified. "There is no dream without memory of what happened … No day without memories, no day without flashback."

"I'm trying to focus on my divine right to be alive – I can and must be here," he said while suffocating. "It gives me value, now it's over and I can keep moving forward, I have to go from there."

He then took a violin and played an instrumental piece for the group. Then, as it was a liturgy, he walked down the aisle in silence.

During the liturgy, summit participants were invited to meditate on how themselves and the church in their country had "reacted to those who had been abused by power, conscience. and badual abuse "and to examine" what obstacles did we encounter? "

They were asked how they treated bishops, priests and deacons accused of abuse and how they treated those who were found guilty.

The examination of conscience continued. It examined how bishops and religious superiors communicated with communities that were served by guilty clerics or failed to do so, and examined the measures taken to ensure the safety of present and future children in institutions. religious.

After a litany of "we confess" failure to act, the pope and summit participants prayed "for the grace of overcoming injustice and doing justice to the people entrusted to us".