Archbishop Hart Felt Desolation and Betrayal, CathNews, July 12, 2010

Archbishop Hart Felt Desolation and Betrayal

CathNews
July 12, 2010

http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=22355

Archbishop Denis Hart's apology to the victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests went further than any which had come before it.

The apology from the Archbishop of Melbourne came in the form of a pastoral letter to the Catholics of his Archdiocese. In it he said he felt a sense of desolation and betrayal at the criminal offences committed by men who had taken vows before their God.

He asked "How can Catholics not be shocked and shamed?" The perpetrators of the sexual abuse had done great harm. They had not always been dealt with appropriately by the church.

With sex abuse scandals in the church swirling around Europe --- and given how long they have engulfed the church here, I asked Archbishop Denis Hart how parishioners in Melbourne had reacted to his pastoral letter and the details it contained about what he called the "terrifying crisis" coming from within the church?

Archbishop Hart is a guest on the ABC's Sunday Profile on Radio National.

DENIS HART: My experience from speaking to quite a number of parish priests has been that the people are very saddened and very burdened. Their heart goes out to the victims, as does mine.

But they are overwhelmingly grateful that I am being honest with them about what the problem is, being clear and unequivocal about my apology and also showing the determination to move forward.

It is a thing that worries Catholics because people should have a right to trust their priests. And when these awful things happen it's not merely the real evil that takes place but it's the terrible violation of trust. And that's caused me great suffering.

Archbishop Denis Hart

MONICA ATTARD: Well as you say I mean people have been particularly appalled because it has come from priests. Are you not concerned that an apology coming from the pulpit, from a priest might be received in a negative way or at least in a very sceptical way?

DENIS HART: My apology is written in a letter. It's sincere and honest. I believe that people of good will will recognise it for what it is. They'll make their own judgements about it of course. And I have to respect that. People have a right to agree or to disagree with me.

I know that victims are very, very hurt and I know that they feel perhaps that if in writing to the people I didn't write to them, well that was not my intention.

My intention was to really clarify that the apology is sincere and unreserved. And I believe generally in an overwhelming number of cases this has been well received. People have even contacted me if their priest hasn't actually read it out and said, we wanted to hear the words.