Times of Malta
October 2, 2011
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111002/local/Bishops-humiliated-by-clerical-abuse-cases.387249
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| Archbishop Paul Cremona and victims’ lawyer Patrick Valentino speaking to reporters last month. |
The bishops felt humbled by the priests' abuse of boys in their care and in a pastoral letter yesterday said every kind of abuse brought enormous suffering.
"We feel humiliated in front of the victims of abuse, as well as in front of the Church and society to which we have been sent to be witnesses," the bishops said, as they released the pastoral letter to coincide with the beginning of the month of the rosary.
The expression of how Archbishop Paul Cremona and Gozo Bishop Mario Grech feel about the plight of those who were abused by priests comes just two weeks after the Church decided against granting financial compensation to the victims.
After consulting lawyers, the Church rejected legal responsibility for the sexual abuse perpetrated by two priests from the Missionary Society of St Paul on a group of boys at St Joseph's Home.
After "months of silence and reflection", the bishops felt they had to write to its congregation in a "calm moment" in the hope the message will penetrate their heart.
They felt important decisions had to be taken in the light of three "big" realities: the fast changes of society that made it difficult to live Christian values; the introduction of divorce that "wounds" every marriage; and the abuse of minors by "some priests".
"Facing all this, each one of us must take an important decision: to live as a Christian in these circumstances. This is not an easy decision," they said.
"There will be those who take a decision to stay away or leave the Church. We should not judge them. The love of God towards each person... does not let us judge, but only love..."
The bishops encouraged believers to heed the Pope's message before he left Malta – to be an example, at home and abroad, of dynamic Christian living.
Meanwhile, Mgr Grech yesterday continued with his tour of Australia where he met the Maltese community in Sydney.
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