Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Pope: 'Ashamed' of clergy abuse scandal

The Associated Press reports via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that in route to the U.S. Pope Benedict XVI responded to questions submitted in advance by reporters. In answer to one such question, he said,
"It is a great suffering for the church in the United States and for the Church in general and for me personally that this could happen," Benedict said. "It is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betray in this way their mission ... to these children.

"I am deeply ashamed and we will do what is possible so this cannot happen again in the future," the pope said.

We will see if later reports and statements include the words "bishop" or "bishops".


P.S. As the story gets longer, there's eventually a mention of other issues such as the Iraq war. That's the mention, "the Iraq war". Might serve as a homiletic object lesson on how mishandling one issue can wipe out your life's work on another, or even all others. Might, unless the real lesson is that keeping one's position is more important than all other considerations put together.


Update: State Catholics travel to see pope: Church leaders to participate in Benedict's first U.S. visit, by Diana Marrero and Tom Heinen in the April 16, 2008 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

4 comments:

  1. I doubt he'll mention the complicity of the bishops, but it would be nice. I don't see how he can place any blame on the bishops without making himself look like a hypocrite because of the prestigious appointment he gave Cardinal Law in Rome.

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  2. It might have been helpful locally if in 2002 Bishop Sklba been a prestigious appointment tending a basilica.

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  3. The real bombshell will fall when he mentions the word "homosexuals."

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  4. If that's the case, maybe he's just "dare not speak its name" retro.

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