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	Bishop Issues Apology By Michael Peeling Standard-Freeholder September 4, 2008 http://www.standard-freeholder.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1184434 Durocher expresses 'deepest regret' The current bishop of Alexandria- Cornwall made a highly anticipated apology to all victims of sexual abuse by diocesan priests to close his final day of testimony at the Cornwall Public Inquiry on Wednesday. Bishop Paul-Andre Durocher read a prepared statement after diocesan lawyer David Sherriff-Scott asked the area leader of the Roman Catholic church a final question about how priests are screened before being accepted into the diocese. Durocher prefaced the apology by saying it echoed words he wrote in a letter to all parishes in his first year as bishop. The letter was read aloud at all the churches in Alexandria-Cornwall on the first Sunday of Lent. "In (the letter) I expressed deep regret for any abuses that had been committed by priests of our diocese and the pain that had been caused by the mishandling of allegations in the past," he said. MOVING FORWARD "I committed myself to renewing this approach on these issues and to move forward in a positive, life-giving way. "Today, I want to repeat this commitment, not only to the parishioners of the diocese, but to all the people of this area and echo for myself the apology that Bishop LaRocque gave last week," Durocher said. "I want to express my deepest regret for all the pain experienced by people of this community because of some of the actions of some priests, or because of the response of our diocese to the hurt caused by those priests. "As leader of the diocese, I apologize to all those who have been sexually abused, and I apologize to all those who were disappointed about the way the complaints were handled. I commit myself again to building a better future for those who were hurt or indirectly hurt and to all the people of our community."
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