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	Abuse an "Appalling Sin" Star Phoenix July 9, 2011 http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Abuse+appalling/5076684/story.html The following is a statement issued by the Congregation of St. Basil (Basilian Fathers): On June 7, 2011, Fr. Hod Marshall, a member of the Congregation of St. Basil (Basilian Fathers) pleaded guilty to the crime of molesting children. He is currently serving his sentence. Fr. Marshall, who is 89 years old, was removed from public ministry in 1996 at the age of 74 as a result of credible allegations of sexual abuse dating back to the 1950s. He was moved to a residence for retired and infirm priests in the Toronto area where he resided until his conviction and incarceration. The Basilian Fathers wish to express our deep shame that one of our members has acted in this way. These criminal acts against children are a violation of our religious vows and are grievously sinful. In the words of Pope John Paul II: "( .) the sexual abuse of young people is by every standard wrong and rightly considered a crime by society; it is also an appalling sin in the eyes of God" (Address to the Cardinals of the United States and Conference Officers, April 23, 2002). The Basilian Fathers apologize unreservedly to any persons who have been harmed by Fr. Marshall, to their families and associates. This should never have happened. We hope and pray that any who have suffered from sexual abuse can experience healing. As such we are committed to providing support for restorative therapy to any victims coming forward in such difficult circumstances. The Basilian Fathers have had policies in place since 1991 to deal with allegations of sexual misconduct. Information on these policies is available through our congregational website: www. basilian.org. In 2007, our religious community was certified as a child-safe organization by Presidium Religious Services in the U.S. We will continue to do all we can to ensure that children and other vulnerable persons are safe.
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